Matteo Berrettini targets upset over Rafael Nadal in Australian Open semi-finals
The 25-year-old is aiming to win his first Grand Slam title and become Italy’s first Australian Open champion
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Your support makes all the difference.Matteo Berrettini will take on Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open semi-finals on Friday looking to take a step closer to his first Grand Slam title and deny his opponent a record 21st major crown.
Berrettini lost to Nadal in straight sets in their only previous meeting in the semi-finals of the US Open in 2019, but the Italian - who reached last year's Wimbledon final - said that he had more belief in his ability now.
"I really want to win this match. I know I can... It's going to be a really tough one, but I'm in the semis of a Slam for the third time, so it means this is my level," said Berrettini, who is aiming to become the first Italian to win the Australian Open.
"I grew up watching these guys battling and fighting for the big titles," Berrettini added. "Now I'm the guy that is trying to take the titles away from them.
"US Open I lost against Rafa, and he won the title. It means that I'm there. It means that I deserve to be here. I feel it … I'm getting closer. Every match that I'm playing against them helps me to get closer."
In the other semi-final, US Open champion Daniil Medvedev will play Stefanos Tsitsipas as he bids to become the first man in the Open era to claim a second Grand Slam title immediately after his maiden triumph.
Tsitsipas has his eyes set on becoming the first Greek Grand Slam champion, but the French Open finalist will need to be at his best to defeat an indefatigable Medvedev, who saved a match point to get past Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarters.
Tsitsipas has lost six of his eight matches with Russia's Medvedev, including a semi-final defeat at Melbourne Park last year, but he said after his quarter-final demolition of Jannik Sinner that he was firmly "in the zone" this time around.
Reuters
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