Two-time defending champion Roger Federer is out at the Australian Open after losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round of the Grand Slam on Sunday.
Tsitsipas came back from a set down to beat Federer 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (5) in four sets at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne.
Federer Can’t Catch a Break
While Federer seemed to be on the verge of taking control of the match on several occasions, he failed to convert a single break point during the match.
The 20-year-old Tsitsipas, who came into the tournament seeded 14th, had never before made it past the fourth round of a Grand Slam event.
“I’m the happiest man on Earth right now,†Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview after the win. “Roger is a legend of the sport, so much respect for him. He showed such good tennis over the years. I’ve been idolizing him since the age of six. It was a dream come true just being on Rod Laver facing him. Winning at the end, I cannot describe it.â€
After the match, the 37-year-old Federer gave full credit to his opponent, who he said simply outplayed him on the evening.
“I lost to a better player who was playing very well tonight,†Federer said. “Hung in there, gave himself chances at some point, stayed calm. It’s not always easy, especially for younger guys. Credit to him for taking care of that.â€
The loss makes this the second consecutive Grand Slam in which Federer has lost in the fourth round. Previous to that, he had reached at least the quarterfinals in 10 consecutive major championships – though he had skipped the French Open three times in that span.
Tsitsipas will next play Roberto Bautista Agut, who knocked out Andy Murray in the first round, in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Djokovic, Serena Advance to Quarterfinals
Meanwhile, top seed Novak Djokovic made it through to the Australian Open quarterfinals for the first time in three years by defeating No. 15 seed Daniil Medvedev 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3.
Djokovic, a six-time champion at Melbourne Park, will next face Kei Nishikori on Wednesday. Djokovic has become the odds-on favorite to win the tournament, with William Hill listing the Serbian at 10/11 to win the year’s first Grand Slam, ahead of Rafael Nadal (13/8).
In women’s play, Serena Williams outlasted No. 1 seed Simona Halep 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals. After a back-and-forth contest, Williams held serve despite a triple break point at 3-3 in the final set, then broke in the next game to take control of the match for good.
“It was a really intense match, and it was some incredible points,†Williams said afterwards. “I love playing tennis and I love to play here and I love to be back out here.â€
Williams (11/8) is now considered the favorite to claim her 24th Grand Slam title, with Petra Kvitova (7/2) and Naomi Osaka (11/2) also in the mix.