Asanka Brendon Ratnayake for The New York Times
MELBOURNE, Australia — Rafael Nadal once again sits just a single match from winning the Australian Open after a punishing, 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 semifinal win over the Greek upstart Stefanos Tsitsipas in Melbourne on Thursday night.
The match, billed as a battle of generations, featured one of the largest ever gaps in age and accomplishment at a major tournament semifinal.
Nadal, 32, is among tennis’s greats — the holder of 17 Grand Slams, including the 2009 Australian Open. Tsitsipas, 20, showcased his talent and confidence throughout the tournament, beating the defending champion, Roger Federer, on his way to the semifinals, but he is still relatively new to pro tennis, and had never previously gone past the fourth round of a Grand Slam.