By Victor Kanayo
American tennis sensation Coco Gauff was eliminated from the ongoing Australian Open after falling to Paula Badosa.
Victory for Badosa marked her first-ever Grand Slam semi-final appearance.
Specifically, it was third time lucky for Spaniard Badosa as she finally surpassed the quarter-final stage at a major tournament, stunning Gauff 7-5, 6-4 to end the third-seeded American’s 13-match winning streak.
Elsewhere, Alexander Zverev defeated Tommy Paul to secure his ninth semi-final berth at the Australian Open.
In the men’s category, Novak Djokovic delivered yet another scarcely believable comeback to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling encounter and book his place in the Australian Open semi-finals.
The 37-year-old Serbian defied injury, age, and ranking to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 against his 21-year-old opponent in Melbourne.
Djokovic, chasing a record-extending 11th men’s singles title, was visibly struggling with a problem in his upper left leg at the end of the first set, limping around Rod Laver Arena.
However, after receiving treatment off-court, he returned to recover impressively, continuing his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title – which would be an all-time record.
Djokovic played aggressively until the pain subsided, allowing him to regain mobility and take control of the match.
