Stefanos Tsitsipas revealed he was in a state of ‘nirvana’ as he orchestrated one of the most unlikely comebacks in grand slam history in his Australian Open quarter-final showdown with Rafael Nadal.
The 22-year-old looked certain to crash out of the tournament after 20-time grand slam champion Nadal steamrolled his way through the opening two sets.
But Tsitsipas found a way to win the third set tiebreaker and completed the seemingly impossible task of claiming the final two sets to seal a famous 3-6 2-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 7-5 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
It is just the third time Nadal has surrendered a two-sets-to-love advantage in his legendary career.
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“I’m speechless, I have no words to describe what just happened, my tennis speaks out for itself,” Tistsipas said in his on-court interview.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to be able to fight as such a level and just be able to give it my all out on the court.
“Today’s performance was … I started very nervous I won’t lie but I don’t know what happened after the third set.
“I just fly like a little bird, everything was working for me and I think the emotions at the very end are indescribable, they are just something else.”
Tsitsipas added at his post-match press conference when asked what was on his mind during his fightback: “The thing is that I wasn’t really thinking about a lot of things.
“Nothing was going through my head, I was so much … how would I describe myself? Nirvana.
“I was just like there, playing not thinking. I was thinking a little bit but I was mainly focused on each single serve, each single shot.
“I think in the third set I changed a few things, I changed my patterns, I maybe took a little more time and I think that helped.”
The world No.5 will meet Russian fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in the final four on Friday for a spot in the men’s final.
“I need to recover, I need to do a good ice bath and take it day by day,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to that match, I know he’s going to give me a very difficult time out on the court … but I can’t wait to show some good tennis.”
Nadal had not dropped a set in the tournament but had been battling a niggling back complaint.
But the typically gracious 34-year-old offered no excuses after the shock loss.
“I’m not the guy that is going to find excuses for that or complain,” Nadal said.
“I never consider myself an unlucky person, at all. I doesn’t matter the injuries that I had, I consider myself a very lucky person.
“And the only thing that I can do is just keep going. I put myself in a position, even the challenges that I faced.
“I was in the quarter-final with two-sets-up, close to being in the semi-finals.
“So is it a chance lost? Yes. But life continues, I hope to keep having chances and I’m going to keep fighting for it.”
