3 minute read
Snapshot of day nine at the Australian Open at Melbourne Park.
PLAYER OF THE DAY: Aslan Karatsev - the Russian qualifier and world No.114 is the first man in 53 years of Open-era tennis to reach the last four of a major on his grand slam debut after downing an injured Grigor Dimitrov in the quarter-finals.
STAT OF THE DAY: The 27-year-old Karatsev is also only the fifth qualifier to make a grand slam semi-final, joining the great John McEnroe, Aussie Bob Giltinan, Belgian Filip Dewulf and countryman Vladimir Voltchkov in the history books.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I would want people to come," 2019 champion Naomi Osaka urging Victorian Premier Dan Andrews to let crowds back in to Melbourne Park, especially if she played home favourite Ash Barty in the final after the Japanese star surged into the last four of the women's event.
TOURNAMENT SUMMARY: Osaka is one win away from a fourth grand slam final following her straight-sets quarter-final win over Hsieh Su-Wei, while Karatsev could potentially play Daniil Medvedev or Andrey Rublev in the first all-Russian men's grand slam title match.
