Dominic Thiem knocks out top seed Rafael Nadal

MELBOURNE: World No. 1 Rafael Nadal’s quest for a 20th Grand Slam title to equal Roger Federer is on hold after he lost to Austrian Dominic Thiem in the quarter finals of the Australian Open.

The Spaniard succumbed 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) to the fifth seed on Wednesday to become the first member of the “big three” to slip up in Melbourne after Federer and Novak Djokovic set up a meeting in the final four on Tuesday.

Thiem, appearing in his first Australian Open quarterfinal, edged the brutal encounter with a powerful array of groundstrokes on Rod Laver Arena.

The 26-year-old will meet Alexander Zverev in the semifinal, a youthful match up compared with that of Swiss great Federer and Djokovic, who have a combined 13 Australian Open titles between them.

Thiem was serving for the match at 5-4 in the fourth set, only for Nadal to break back. It went to a tie break where, after squandering two match points, the Austrian finally triumphed.

“It came to 5-4 and it was a special situation for me, serving for the match against Rafa for my first semifinals here at the Australian Open,” said Thiem.

“It was such a mentally tough situation. I couldn’t handle it but I turned it around again in the tie breaker.”

The fifth seed, who is chasing a first grand slam title, added: “It’s a little bit demons in the head.

“Everybody has it, and I was just rushing way too much, changing a little bit the tactics from all the match, and that was wrong.”

Nadal went a break up in the first two sets but wasn’t able to capitalize on either as Thiem broke back on both occasions to force a tie break, which he won both times.

The match could have swung either way, with both players having won 102 points apiece after Nadal had claimed the third set.

But Thiem held his nerve to secure his first hardcourt victory over the Spaniard after losing to him in the last two French Open finals.

“I don’t give up one moment during the match,” Nadal told a news conference.

“I gave myself an opportunity until the last moment, so I’m happy for that, because my level of concentration and tennis was better I think. My tennis was not bad at all — it was difficult to play against him.”

Nadal must now wait until the French Open, which begins on May 24 in Paris, to try to match Federer’s men’s record of 20 grand slam titles. Nadal has won an unprecedented 12 titles at Roland Garros. (Agencies)

Also Read: Rafael Nadal rides out Nick Kyrgios challenge

Also Watch: AASU and AAGSU reaction on Government of India signing Bodoland Accord with NDFB