MELBOURNE — Rafael Nadal needed all of 11 minutes in his Australian Open semifinal to show 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas - and everyone else - that the kid's upset of Roger Federer was not going to be replicated on this night.
Not even close.
Breaking Tsitispas in the match's third game and then another five times Thursday, while never facing a single break point himself until the very last game, Nadal bullied his way to a 6-2, 6-4, 6-0 victory that put him into his fifth final at Melbourne Park and 25th at all Grand Slam tournaments.
Tsitsipas' run to the first major semifinal of his nascent career was most notable for the way he beat 20-time major champion Federer in the fourth round, saving 12 of 12 break points across four sets and 3 hours, 45 minutes.