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The Russian tennis player got the better off 18th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and cruised into the semi-finals of Australian Open 2021. Karatsev was 0-1 down in the set and a lot of people ruled him out of the contest considering this was his debut match. But Aslan stuck to his basics and displayed incredible temperament to crush Dimitrov in the other sets. Though Aslan was a tad loose on his forehand shots, he quickly eclipsed past his weakness and rolled up his socks. Notably, Dimitrov was a former semi-finalist of the Australian Open. Dimitrov was also ridden with a muscle injury and was suffering a lot of pain during the entire course of the match. He asked for his trainer after he stopped chasing most of the shots in the third set.
"It's an unbelievable feeling. Of course, it's the first time. First time in main draw. First time semis. Its incredible,” said an elated Aslan Karatsev. Aslan Karatsev has defied all odds and has produced this magical and breath-taking performance under severe pressure. He is also the lowest-ranked individual to have entered into the semi-finals of the Australian Open. The previous man to have achieved such a feat was Patrick McEnroe in 1991 when he was ranked 114. A staunch believer of hard-work and resilience!
He will lock horns with Serbian legend Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals on the 18th of February. The match is touted to be an exciting and stellar contest with a robust atmosphere enveloping it.