Unexpected: Dimitrov vs Karatsev in the Australian Open QFs

MELBOURNE, Australia – This is one quarterback that no one has seen come at the Australian Open.

With straight sets winning Sunday over third-placed Dominic Thiem, U.S. Open champion and Australian Open runner in 2020, Grigor Dimitrov went on to a showdown with Aslan Karatsev.

Yes, that Karatsev – the 114th-placed Russian who is playing in his first Grand Slam tournament. Dimitrov isn’t making a quarter of an hour at Melbourne Park completely upset.

The 29-year-old Bulgarian has been rated at No. 3, has won ATP finals, and has already led his friend, Thiem, 3-2 in head-to-head positions, albeit this is their first at a major stage.

Despite his long tennis ancestry, Dimitrov was never past prime semifinals. So be wary of someone like Karatsev.

“If you’re here, it’s for a reason – there’s no doubt about it,” Dimitrov said after a 6-4, 6-4, 6-0 win. “Whether it’s a fairy tale or not, it’s a game – you have to be ready. ”

Karatsev earlier defeated No. 1. 20 Felix Auger-Aliassime, coming back for a 3-6, 1-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 victory, to one earlier than No. 8 Diego Schwartzman.

He had failed in nine previous bids to qualify for the Grand Slam, but finally succeeded in Doha last month, when qualification for the Australian Open was held offshore for the first because of limitations in place for COVID-19 pandemics.

He is now just the third player to get this far in Australia in the professional era, the first from Goran Ivanisevic in 1989. Alex Radulescu at Wimbledon in 1996 was the last man to reach round of eight in his first Grand Slam show.

And not since Patrick McEnroe – John’s brother – in 1991 is a man as low as 114th made it to the Australian Open finals.

“I was working a lot, and it happened right now,” said 27-year-old Karatsev about his recent streak.

“It’s like you never know when it will happen. It happened here. ”

Thiem said he had a few issues on Sunday, but did not want to explain or use as excuses.

It was clear, however, that he was still obese after coming off two sets down to beat Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in five sets on Friday night.

“Some physical issues, and a really bad day, plus, well, he’s a good player,” Thiem said. “So a combination of these three things, and a result like that can happen.”

“It’s also a fact that I’m not a tool either,” he said. “I mean, sometimes I want to be, but there are really, really bad days.

“As soon as you’re not 100% there on the court at this stage, results like this come up, and that’s exactly what happened today.”

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