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8.50am GMT
Tsitsipas 0-1 Nadal* (*denotes server)
And away we go, with the veteran – he’s still only 34 – taking the honour. Tsitsipas’s return wins the first point but he nets the second. Then comes a long rally which ends with Tsitsipas’s attempted winner going just wide. A double fault makes it 30-30. Tsitsipas goes too long to hand over game point, and Nadal serves out to claim.
8.42am GMT
The players are on the court at the Rod Laver Arena, with Nadal in peach and Tsitsipas in a canary yellow. The knocking up begins to the tune of The Weeknd, pop pickers.
8.28am GMT
Here’s our report from that previous meeting.
Related: Rafael Nadal dismantles Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach Australian Open final
8.22am GMT
Time waits for no man, but if Nadal brings his A-game like their last meeting, that semi-final of 2019, then woe betide Tsitsipas.
In their last #AusOpen meeting, @RafaelNadal conceded just 6️⃣ games against @steftsitsipas in their 2019 semifinal clash.
Who wins at #AO2021?@Kia_Worldwide | #Kia | #MovementThatInspires | #KiaTennis
8.17am GMT
Daniil Medvedev awaits in the semi, having dealt with Andrey Rublev in three sets. Nadal in back in the quarter-finals, where he perished last year, losing to Dominic Thiem. Tsitsipas was a semi-finalist in 2019 but could only reach the third round last year. Nadal is looking to win only his second Australian Open, the sole victory coming in that 2009 epic win over Roger Federer.
The record between these two is six wins to Nadal to one from Tsitsipas, though the younger man did beat Nadal on clay once. Their last two meetings have been on the hard court at London’s ATP finals, and both went to the maximum three seats.
The stage is set though Covid restrictions stop any spectators being in the arena until tomorrow. Join me.
Looking forward to welcoming fans back to Melbourne Park tomorrow with attendance capped at 7,477 – approximately 50% capacity.
Masks required.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Skm75sj6n2