Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open for the fourth time in the last five years and will now face Russian Karen Khachanov for a place in the final on Sunday.
The third seed made it six-for-six in the last eight at majors with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 victory over the 21-year-old Lahika, who had never played a Grand Slam match prior to her arrival. had won Australia.
The young Czech had beaten Cameron Norrie and Felix Auger-Iliasime to reach the quarter-finals but was broken in his first service game and, although he put in a convincing display, it was not enough to take the set from Tsitsipas.
The Greek, who along with Novak Djokovic still has a chance to finish the tournament as world No.1, will face Khachanov in the semi-finals on Friday.
Sebastian Korda retired with a wrist injury during his clash with Khachanov, sending the Russian to his second consecutive Grand Slam semi-final.
American Korda has been one of the stories of the tournament, beating Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Harkaz to reach his first major quarter-final 25 years after his father Peter lifted the trophy.
But he began to struggle halfway through the second set, received a medical timeout, and, after losing seven games in a row, dropped it, trailing 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 3-0.
It was a desperate way to bow out for the 22-year-old, who was clearly in pain and was reduced to cutting his forehead in a futile attempt to find a way back into the match.
After reaching the last four of a Slam for the first time in his 23rd major at the US Open last summer, Khachanov is now back at the same stage in his next event.
“Back-to-back semifinals in a Slam feels great,” Rousey said. Obviously the way you want to finish the match.
Khachanov and Korda met for the first time in a Grand Slam at Wimbledon in 2021, and a tense encounter went to a fifth-set tiebreak before the Russian took the lead.
It also looked to be a close battle, with Korda starting the second strongly after recovering from a break down to force a tiebreak in the opening set.
But he called the trainer after five games to have his right wrist taped and didn’t win another game.
Korda said of the injury: “I had a little bit of it in Adelaide a couple of weeks ago but then it went, during the matches, it was fine, then, just kind of a mishit return and it started bothering me. Did a lot after that.
“With some forehands, I couldn’t even hold the racket. Volleying was almost impossible for me. So it was a little difficult.”
It’s been a breakthrough fortnight for Korda, though, and he added: “There’s been a lot of positives, more positives than negatives. Today was a tough day but hopefully it’s nothing serious. And I can take care of it so I don’t have it in the future.
“I’m really proud of myself. Going forward, I’m just going to keep trying to do the same thing, stay the same mentally. I think I’ll do some really big things in the near future. I can.”
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