Sports Monday, January 21, 2019 21 GREEK There’s nothing really I can say to TRAGEDY describe this. I’m the happiest man on earth right now. Swiss Roger Federer reacts Stefanos Tsitsipas after a point against Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas during their FOR FEDERER men’s singles match at the Australian Open on Sunday. (AFP) Roger bats NextGen star Tsitsipas away ‘changing of guard’ talk, knocks out the Swiss great and to play defending champion French Open AFP in Sunday shocker MELBOURNE SWISS great Roger Federer de- nied Sunday his defeat to Greek young gun Stefanos Tsitsipas AFP pelled 10 break points. signalled a changing of the MELBOURNE This time, however, Tsitsipas guard as he announced he will quickly took two points against play the French Open this year YOUNG Stefanos Tsitsipas signalled a Federer’s serve and levelled the for the first time since 2015. changing of the guard at the top of world ten- match after just over two hours. The 20-time Grand Slam nis as he shocked defending champion Roger At 4-5 in the third, Tsitsipas champion was shocked by a Federer in the Australian Open fourth round forced his first two break points man 17 years his junior in the on Sunday. of the entire match but Federer last 16 of the Australian Open The NextGen Finals champion beat weathered that storm. 6-7 (11-13), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 7-6 Federer, who is 17 years his senior, 6-7 (11- But the clouds were dark- (7/5) on Rod Laver Arena. 13), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) on Rod Laver ening over the 20-time Grand But Federer, the defending Arena. Slam champion who was mak- champion, played down sug- Tsitsipas, seeded 14, became the first Greek ing an uncharacteristic series gestions it was the beginning in history to reach the quarter-finals of a Slam of mistakes, largely on his fore- of the end for a man who has where he will meet Spain’s 22nd seed Roberto hand wing. dominated the sport for so long. Bautista Agut. On Federer’s next service “I’ve heard that story the last “There’s nothing really I can say to de- game the youngster again 10 years. From that standpoint, scribe this,” said the 20-year-old. “I’m the got to 15-40, this time for set nothing new there,” he said. happiest man on earth right now.” points, and a 42nd unforced And in a signal that he is The pair’s only previous meeting in the error into the net saw the vet- hungry for more, the 37-year- mixed team Hopman Cup earlier this month eran behind in a match for the old said he planned to play on was a tight affair where Federer had won first time in the champion- clay again this year for the first courtesy of two tiebreaks. ship. time since 2015. Federer prevailed that day but was at Tsitsipas called the train- “It’s a bit of a desire. I’m in a loss to explain how he created 12 points er in the changeover after the a phase where I want to have to break the powerful Tsitsipas serve over seventh game of the fourth fun and I’ve missed not doing four sets on Rod Laver Arena and converted set a he began to cramp on a it,” he told reporters. none. warm and sticky night. He missed Roland Garros in “It definitely didn’t go the way I was Federer couldn’t take ad- 2016 with an injury and skipped hoping on the break points,” a despondent vantage of his opponent’s plight and the clay season the last two Federer told reporters immediately after his Tsitsipas sealed the win on his first match years. “I don’t feel it is neces- hopes of winning a record seventh Austral- point in the third tiebreak of the match. sary to have a big break again,” ian Open were shattered. “Roger is a legend of our sport,” said Tsit- he added. sipas. “I have so much respect for him. It’s a The long-haired Tsitsipas, ‘Something is wrong’ dream come rue.” seeded 14, has been touted as a “I also didn’t break him at the Hopman Cup, “That moment is definitely something future Grand Slam champion so clearly something is wrong how I return that I will never, ever, ever forget,” said Tsit- and Federer had nothing but him, what I’m trying to do. sipas. praise, saying he saw similari- “He’s doing a good job to defend them,” “This match point is going to stay, I’m ties to himself. added Federer. pretty much sure, forever, for the rest of my “He has a one-handed So there was little surprise when life. backhand and I used to have the first set also went to 6-6 and a “I lost to a better player who was play- long hair, too,” said the world decider. ing very well tonight,” said Federer. “Hung number three. It ended on a controversial note when a in there, gave himself chances at some point, “Yeah, so maybe a little bit, fan jumped the gun and shouted “out” on a stayed calm. sure. He has more of a conti- Tsitsipas forehand with Federer 12-11 ahead. “It’s not always easy, especially for nental grip than players nowa- The call distracted Tsitsipas, who mis-hit younger guys. Credit to him for taking care days. That’s a bit more my way his next forehand and Federer put it away. of that.” than, let’s say, Rafa’s way. The second saw Federer constantly pres- Tsitsipas will meet Spain’s 22nd seed “I see him definitely being sure the Greek’s serve but each time the en- Roberto Bautista Agut in the quarter-finals. high up in the game for a long ergetic Tsitsipas resisted. “This win is a good milestone, let’s say time. That was a good night for By the time the second set reached the good first step to something bigger,” said him tonight.” tiebreak the gutsy Greek had already re- Tsitsipas. Federer conceded he had “massive regrets” about losing and said he didn’t win because he struggled to convert his 12 break points, making none of them count. “I have massive regrets, you know, tonight. I might not look the part, but I am. I felt like I have to win the second set,” he said. “I don’t care how I do it, but I have to do it. Cost me the game tonight. There is always multiple factors that play into Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece after winning his round four men’s singles match against Roger Federer of a match like this,” he added. Switzerland at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Sunday. (EPA-EFE) “But it definitely didn’t go the way I was hoping on the break points. ” Kerber, Sharapova stunned as Nadal powers into quarters others to fall, but there was no of these.” in the semi-finals after the Pavlyuchenkova such drama for a rampant Ra- Her next assignment is young American celebrated RESULTS (ROUND 4) shocks Stephens fael Nadal who powered into against unseeded Russian An- his 21st birthday by grinding Men’s SINGLES the last eight with a straight astasia Pavlyuchenkova, who down Grigor Dimitrov 7-5, 7-6 Frances Tiafoe (USA) bt Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x20) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (1/7), 7-5 Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE) 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) in late night pic sets win over Tomas Berdych. beat Stephens 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, (8/6), 6-7 (1/7), 7-5. Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x22) bt Marin Cilic (CRO x6) 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 Wimbledon winner and 6-3 in a late night epic. Hometown hero Ashleigh Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x14) bt Roger Federer (SUI x3) 6-7 (11/13), 7-6 (7/3), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5) AFP 2016 champion Kerber, and Barty also made the last eight MELBOURNE the favourite along with Ser- Chipping away muscling past Sharapova and WOMen’s SINGLES Petra Kvitova (CZE x8) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA) 6-2, 6-1 ena Williams after defending Men’s second seed Nadal, will next meet Petra Kvitova. Ashleigh Barty (AUS x15) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS x30) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 ON a day of upsets at the Aus- champion Caroline Wozni- returning from foot surgery, Sharapova claimed her Danielle Collins (USA) bt Angelique Kerber (GER x2) 6-0, 6-2 tralian Open second seed An- acki was ousted early, was no barrelled past former world biggest scalp since complet- Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x5) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-3 gelique Kerber crashed out match for Collins, ranked 35 in number four Tomas Berdych ing a drugs ban in 2017 when while Rafael Nadal kept up his the world. 6-0, 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) as he stays she rolled Wozniacki in round charge for an 18th Grand Slam Collins is little known after on track for an 18th Grand three and looked on track to 22-year-old is Kvitova, who Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova title on Sunday. playing much of her tennis in Slam title. carry the momentum forward. beat Barty in the final of the ground down American fifth World number two Kerber the US college system and was “I always say the same The 30th seed won the warm-up Sydney Internation- seed Sloane Stephens to reach was sensationally bundled out making her debut in the main when I am back for injury,” first set but then fell to pieces, al this month.