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MELBOURNE, Australia — Lucas Pouille had lost every Australian Open match he played until he hired Amélie Mauresmo as coach.
A couple of months later, he’s into a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time.
Pouille, a 24-year-old Frenchman, will next play Novak Djokovic, who is aiming for a men’s record seventh Australian title, so things will get tougher.
Djokovic was leading by 6-1, 4-1 and his quarterfinal match was less than an hour old Wednesday when eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori retired with an injured right leg, finally succumbing after three of his four previous rounds went to five sets.