Australian Open - Day 9

Looks like every day is bitter sweet now, when it comes to the Australian Open 2021. Today was day 9, quarterfinals and maybe the most intense for me. Let's see what's happened in Melbourne.

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Serena Williams vs Simona Halep

I wish these two would never have to face each other but my wishes don't count in tennis. Things are working independently and I have no say in this. So today, because of Simona Halep, I had to watch this match.

What can I say? Both had good moments, bad moments, both made mistakes an at the end Serena was better and won the match. At some point Halep seemed to have figured out Williams's weak point and used it against her but it wasn't enough. Sometimes Halep should have played more aggressively but it's easy for me to judge from home. It is what it is, maybe next time Halep will win.

Women's single has finished here for me. The rest of the players don't interest me, so there's no reason to watch anymore.

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Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev

This was one of the matches I've been looking for today as Dimitrov is one of the new players I think worth watching. Aslan Karatsev is the new surprise of this Grand Slam. He's coming from qualifications and he's in semifinals now. It's his first Grand Slam participation and I have to admit, he made quite an entrance, started his journey in the big league very well.

I was hoping to see Dimitrov beat Karatsev today and he could totally have, but he was injured and that changed everything. Even if his opponent was a newbie, he could not play well enough to get the victory. It was painful to see him suffering, struggling and then losing.

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Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev

This match was the highlight of the day. Two valuable players, almost at the same level, fighting for a place in semifinals. I knew Novak is injured but no one knows at what degree is his injury affecting his ability to play. He said he's on painkillers and getting medication, but no one can guarantee he's able to play at full capacity.

Zverev had two tapes on his abdomen, which is obviously not good. There was nothing said about his injuries, but the tapes were visible.

The match was intense from beginning to the end. The first and the last set especially, as things could have gone either way.

When tho players of the same level meet, usually comes down to physical and mental strength, these are two factors that decide the outcome. I've known Djokovic as a very disciplines player, but today he proved me wrong. He got angry at some point, started hitting the court with his racket, smashing it into pieces. His action left some marks on the floor and he also got a warning from the umpire. His mess had to be cleaned up by a volunteer. Looks like his nerves are not made of iron and he can lose it as well, not only others. He lost some brownie points today. Him, of all people.

Mistakes were made on both sides equally and at the end Djokovic seemed to control the situation better, so he won.

These were my predictions for today:

• Grigor Dimitrov vs Aslan Karatsev - Grigor Dimitrov - missed
• Novak Djokovic vs Alexander Zverev - Novak Djokovic - correct
• Serena Williams vs Simona Halep - Simona Halep - missed
• Hsieh Su-wei - Naomi Osaka - Naomi Osaka - correct

2 out of 4. This happens when things get complicated.

My predictions for tomorrow:

• Andrey Rublev vs Daniil Medvedev - Daniil Medvedev
• Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Rafael Nadal - Stefanos Tsitsipas (there's a high chance for Rafael Nadal to win, but can't write his name down as winner)