By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, January 20, 2019
Stepping into the court, Stefanos Tsitsipas drilled a diagonal forehand and tossed his racquet aside in disbelief.
Disarming Roger Federer with crackling drives, Tsitsipas dethroned the defending champion with brilliance.
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A defiant Tsitsipas saved all 12 break points he faced stunning Federer, 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (5), in a pulsating and historic Australian Open triumph.
The 20-year-old Tsitsipas became the first Greek player—man or woman—to advance to a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Competing with calm clarity, Tsitsipas conquered his tennis idol turning the Happy Slam into ecstatic experience.
"I'm the happiest man on earth right now," Tsitsipas said afterward. "I cannot describe it."
In an audacious performance of all-court acumen, Tsitsipas cracked 20 aces and won 48 of 68 trips to net making history as the first man to defeat Federer in their first meeting in a major.
"There's always multiple factors that play into a match like this," Federer said. "Definitely didn't go the way I was hoping on the break points. He was doing a good job to defend them. Nevertheless it's very frustrating.
"I think (my level) was okay. I lost to a better player, who was playing very well tonight, who hung in there and gave himself chances and hung in there. So credit to him for taking care of that."
Contesting just the seventh Grand Slam tournament of his career, Tsitsipas will face Roberto Bautista Agut for a semifinal spot.
The red-hot, 22nd-seeded Spaniard edged 2018 finalist Marin Cilic, 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4, to reach his first Australian Open quarterfinal two years after upsetting Cilic in the 2016 Australian Open third round.
The 30-year-old Bautista Agut, who opened the year knocking off world No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to the Doha title, raised his record to 9-0 in 2019.
It will be the first career meeting between Tsitsipas and Bautista Agut.