Daniil Medvedev has overcome his own meltdown at the chair umpire and a determined Stefanos Tsitsipas to book an Australian Open final showdown with Rafael Nadal.
Earlier, Nadal beat Italian Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, bringing the Spaniard a step closer to a 21st grand slam title.
Look back on the day's play as it unfolded in the blog below.
Key events
Live updates
By Paul Johnson
Medvedev overcomes Tsitsipas and meltdown at chair umpire to advance to Australian Open final
Daniil Medvedev has overcome his own meltdown at the chair umpire and a determined Stefanos Tsitsipas to book an Australian Open final against Rafael Nadal.
Medvedev defeated the Greek star in four sets 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in just over 2.5 hours on Rod Laver Arena as he advanced to the Australian Open final.
Despite the final set rout the first three sets were played at the highest of levels and the match will be remembered for that and two other things: Medvedev's amazing serving performance, and a next-level meltdown at the chair umpire towards the end of the second set.
Medvedev, who has been serving well all tournament, took it to another level against Tsitispas and only lost two points on his serve throughout the entire opening set, which he eventually took in a tiebreak where he had to come from behind after losing the second point of it on his serve.
The second set was a little different.
Medvedev had a slight dip in the opening game and Tsitsipas pounced to break serve at just his second opportunity.
The Russian though fought hard and broke back at 3-all but while serving at 4-5, a pair of double faults cost him dearly and as the crowd cheered the second one, Medvedev made a gesture with his arm and racquet.
It got him a code violation from the chair.
Medvedev was enraged and let the umpire know it as he accused Tsitsipas of receiving coaching from father/coach Apostolos, something which the Greek player has a history of.
"Are you mad? Are you mad," Medvedev screamed.
"His father can coach every point? Are you stupid? His father can talk every point? His father can talk every point?
"Answer my question! Will you answer my question?"
"Oh my god, you are so bad, man. How can you be so bad in semifinal? Look at me. I'm talking to you!
The umpire then asked Medvedev what he wanted and he said, he wanted the umpire to give him a code violation for coaching.
"To give him coaching because his father is talking to him," Medvedev said.
Tsitsipas then served out the set to take it 6-4 and level the match.
Medvedev said post-match that the outburst didn't help him and he regretted it.
"To be honest, I don't think that emotions help me too much," Medvedev said.
"Many times I lose the match because of this and as soon as I did it I am like 'that is a big mistake'.
"I am happy that I reconcentrated for the beginning of the third set."
And reconcentrate he did.
Much like the first set, the third went along with the pair trading service holds but this time Tsitsipas blinked.
A loose game from him at 4-5 and Medvedev took his chance, taking the set with his second set point.
Tsitsipas was beginning to find it harder to win cheap points and did receive a coaching violation in the fourth set.
And when Medvedev broke for a 3-1 lead it broke Tsitsipas as Medvedev rushed to his second straight Australian Open final.
That will be played on Sunday night against Nadal, who earlier beat Matteo Berrettini in four sets.
Medvedev, who stopped Novak Djokovic's surge towards a record 21st men's singles grand slam title at the US Open, is hoping he can do the same to the Spaniard in his quest for the record.
"I know that Rafa is very strong player and I will need to show my best to try to win this match," Medvedev said.
"I will play again against one of the greatest and play against someone going for their 21st slam.
"The last time Rafa was looking near the TV, I don't know who he was cheering for, but I think that Novak will be watching this one in two days also."
By Paul Johnson
Thanks for reading
Well, that's my Friday night done sports fans.
Thanks for joining us for a wild ride in the men's semis.
I'll be back tomorrow night for Super Saturday at Melbourne Park as Ash Barty seeks her third grand slam singles title and four Aussie men battle it out for the men's doubles title.
By Paul Johnson
Comments and questions from you readers
I think the the Chair Umpire should have the morons who yell out during a service ejected no ifs or buts!
-Mike
...Tsitsipas should tell his father to stay home otherwise he'll go down in tennis history as a cheat.
-Mike
I am sad that Medvedev won. His behaviour was arrogant, ill-tempered and rude. He should have been penalised for the way he talked to the umpire. Very sad that tennis allows such behaviour to flourish.
-Sheila Novitz
Will Medvedev be fined for that outburst? He should be. So rude.
-So rude
@sorude - I would suspect he would have to be, it wasn't on the level of Denis Shapovalov's "corrupt" comment earlier in the week but it was a lot more vitriolic.
By Paul Johnson
Medvedev breaks for 3-1 lead in 4th set
And the way he has been serving through this match, this one may be academic now.
Tsitsipas needs to dig deep now.
By Paul Johnson
Medvedev leads 2 sets to 1
And just like that the Russian is back on track.
The players were ripping through that set and trading service holds, then with Tsitsipas serving at 4-5 Medvedev cranked a pair of backhand winners.
A Tsitsipas forehand error later and he had 3 set points.
The Greek saved one of them before Medvedev made no mistake on the next to place himself one set away from a final showdown with Rafael Nadal.
By Paul Johnson
Some comments/questions about coaching
The chair empire is hiding near Tstsipas's group to catch the coaching red handed. She's inside the gangway unseen from the players and crowd.
-Deb
Why is coaching from the box so terrible? Coaching in sport during matches happens all the time and is sanctioned - even in some tennis formats.
-Fifichez
So to answer your question @Fifichez pretty simple it's against the rules of the game. And yes it is allowed at some WTA Tour events but that's a different tour with different rules, but even then it is not allowed at the slams for women.
Nowhere on the ATP Tour is it allowed. The only exception to this rule is team events of the Davis Cup, Fed Cup and Laver Cup where there are team captains, who are on court with the players.
By Paul Johnson
Now for a score update
It's 3-2 to Medvedev in the 3rd set and it's on serve.
The Russian still looks extremely unhappy out there but he has picked up his level again.
The score is 7-6, 4-6, 3-2 (Medvedev)
And for those keeping track of the violation count.
- Code violation Medvedev (visual obscenity)
- Time violation warning Tsitsipas
By Paul Johnson
What did Medvedev get angry about?
What's old mate yelling at the ref for? Tuned in a bit late.
-Specks
@Specks - He was given a code violation for making an obscenity with his arm and the racquet, allegedly towards the crowd, who were cheering him being broken on a double fault.
He then accused the umpire doing nothing about Tsitsipas's coach/father Apostolos allegedly speaking to his son, in Medvedev's words "every point", and therefore coaching.
By Paul Johnson
Tsitsipas takes the second as Medvedev explodes
Daniil Medvedev has come completely unglued at the chair umpire towards the end of the second set of his men's singles semifinal with Stefanos Tsitsipas.
After a double fault gifted Tsitsipas the break for a 5-4 lead, Medvedev took to his chair and unloaded on the chair umpire, who had just given him a code violation for a visual obscenity.
Medvedev was making a gesture with his racquet and his arm.
Medvedev then lost control as he accused Tsitsipas of receiving coaching from his father Apostolos and the umpire not doing anything about it.
"Are you mad? Are you mad," Medvedev screamed.
"His father can coach every point? Are you stupid? His father can talk every point? His father can talk every point?
"Answer my question! Will you answer my question?"
"Oh my god, you are so bad, man. How can you be so bad in semifinal? Look at me. I'm talking to you!
The umpire then asked Mededev what he wanted and he said, he wanted the umpire to give him a code violation for coaching.
"To give him coaching because his father is talking to him," Medvedev said.
Tsitsipas then served out the set to take it 6-4 and level the match but that may not be the end of this as Tsitsipas and his camp have a history of coaching.
Over the years he has been warned for it several times and last year, Andy Murray accused him of using bathroom breaks to receive messages.
By Paul Johnson
Medvedev gets the break back
That was just a bit of a sloppy game from Tsitsipas as some forehand unforced errors eventually cost him.
The Greek repelled Medvedev on 3 break points but he could not save the 4th.
Medvedev then held for a 4-3 lead.
By Paul Johnson
Normal transmission has resumed
Tsitsipas still has the break and leads 3-2 but we're now back to Medvedev serving at an insanely high level.
He's held to love in his last couple of service games since the break.
By Paul Johnson
Against the flow Tsitsipas breaks
The Greek won just 2 points against the Medvedev serve in the opening set.
And now he gets his first break point for the match and takes it with a forehand winner for a 1-0 lead.
Wild.
This match is being played at the highest level
By Paul Johnson
Medvedev takes the opening set
This match is tight but Medvedev's serve of all things really proved to be the difference in the opening set.
The Russian dropped just 2 points on his serve the entire set.
That's got to be alarming forTsitsipas who played extraordinarily well but a forehand missed by the barest of margins cost him the first set in a tiebreak.
He'll be wondering just what he has to do.
Key stats from that opening set
- Medvedev won 91 per cent of points on first serve, 100 per cent on the 2nd ball
- Each player hit 11 winners
- Medvedev made 6 unforced errors to Tsitsipas's 9
By Paul Johnson
First set tiebreak live
1-0 Tsitsipas
2-0 Tsitsipas - got the minibreak on an epic point where he faked Medvedev out then came to the net and Medvedev missed a backhand pass
2-1 Tsitsipas
3-1 Tsitsipas
4-1 Tsitsipas
4-2 Tsitsipas
4-3 Tsitsipas
4-4 Medvedev with a forehand pass up the line to get the minibreak back
5-4 Tsitsipas
5-5 - Ace from Medvedev as it hits 2mm of the centre line
6-5 Medvedev - backhand winner up the line
7-5 Medvedev he takes the opening set on a Tsitsipas forehand error
By Paul Johnson
Medvedev finally drops a point on serve and we're into a tiebreak
It was 22 points straight before he left a forehand long.
By Paul Johnson
Tsitsipas saves 3 break points
That could be huge in the context of this one.
Medvedev had Tsitsipas 0-40 but missed a forehand wide ad that may haunt him as Tsitispas then managed to get to the net and save the next couple.
It's now 5-4 to the Greek.
By Paul Johnson
Peerless serving from Medvedev
But the streak was broken on the 20th point of the match when a Medvedev backhand hit the tape and fell into the court.
It's 4-3 Tsitsipas and still only two points have been won against the serve.
Medvedev has not lost a single point in his three service games to date.
By Paul Johnson
Not a point against serve yet
Three games down and Tsitsipas leads 2-1 but the serving has been large.
Neither player has won a point against serve thus far and it's going quick.
By Paul Johnson
Roof closed means indoor tennis
However these two players have split their matches indoors at 1-1 throughout their careers.
- Tsitsipas won in straight sets at the 2019 Tour Finals
- Medvedev won in 3 sets in 2018 in Basel, Switzerland
