Sofia Kenin vs Garbine Muguruza free live stream: How to watch Australian Open final

Sofia Kenin and Garbine Muguruza compete in the Australian Open final today and Express Sport is on hand with all the live stream information, including how to watch the match for free.

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Australian Open prize money 2020: How much can Djokovic, Thiem, Muguruza, Kenin earn?

Australian Open 2020 comes to a conclusion this weekend but how much prize money is involved and what will the winners earn?

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Buy Your 2020 Nitto ATP Finals Tickets; Final Year In London

Tickets to the 2020 Nitto ATP Finals are now on public sale. From today, fans can secure their place at the prestigious season-ending showdown from 15-22 November at The O2 in London, featuring only the best eight qualified singles players and doubles teams, by purchasing tickets at www.NittoATPFinals.com.

Buy Your Tickets Now

The 2020 Nitto ATP Finals marks the 50th anniversary of the season finale and will be the final edition held in London, concluding a successful 12-year run before it moves to Turin, Italy, in 2021.

The season finale attracted 242,883 fans to The O2 across the eight days of competition in 2019, bringing the tournament’s cumulative attendance since 2009 to 2.8 million.

Stefanos Tsitsipas capped off a memorable week at The O2 when he prevailed against Dominic Thiem 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(4) in the singles final – only the third time in tournament history that the championship match came down to a final set tie-break. In doubles, the French pairing of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut captured the season-ending title for the first time.

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Roger Federer retirement conditions laid bare by former coach after Australian Open loss

Roger Federer's former coach Tony Roche has explained why the Swiss star could retire.

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Blockbuster Roger Federer claim made about Dominic Thiem ahead of Novak Djokovic final

Mats Wilander has compared Dominic Thiem to Roger Federer.

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Sofia Kenin pinpoints Serena Williams shock as key to Australian Open final run

Sofia Kenin believes her career really took off after beating Serena Williams.

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Roger Federer to retire this season? John McEnroe explains bold prediction

John McEnroe thinks Roger Federer will retire this season.

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Dominic Thiem compared to Roger Federer after reaching maiden Australian Open final

Dominic Thiem will play Novak Djokovic on Sunday in the Australian Open final.

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Thiem: ‘We Always Have To Beat All These Unbelievable Legends’

Dominic Thiem has already enjoyed two shots at Grand Slam glory, at Roland Garros in 2018 and 2019. Now, after battling past 2018 Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev in four sets on Friday evening, the Austrian superstar will get his chance at the Australian Open trophy.

But in his way stands as difficult of an obstacle as you’ll find in tennis: seven-time champion Novak Djokovic in Melbourne.

“We are playing in tough times, [we] young players. We always have to beat all these unbelievable legends. But I think it's a complete different situation,” Thiem said. “Rafa won Paris 12 times, Nole here seven times. That's [an] unbelievable achievement. But I try to take my experience that I made in the past two major finals and try to improve myself even more. I think I did that from '18 to '19 in Paris, and I tried to improve even more now.

“In this one I have the feeling that I have great experience now. I'm feeling that I can really keep up my level for all the two weeks, which was not the case maybe in my first Roland Garros final. So that's what I'm taking, [and I’m going to] try to be in the zone straightaway on Sunday night.”

At last year’s Australian Open, Thiem was upset in the second round. At the time, he was known for his success on clay. But two months later at Indian Wells, Thiem broke through for his first ATP Masters 1000 title — perhaps surprisingly, on hard courts — and from there, he has become a force on hard, too. Three of his five titles in 2019 came on the surface (Indian Wells, Vienna, Beijing), and he finished the year by reaching the championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals, which is also on hard.

“Indian Wells, that victory gave me so much relief and so much confidence because [I] finally got my first Masters 1000 title on hard court,” Thiem said. “Then I think last fall in Asia, then in the indoor season, I made this huge step forward. I really developed my game I think in the right direction. I got more aggressive on hard courts, started to serve smarter and to return better. That also gave me a lot of confidence for this new year and for Australia because I told myself, ‘If I can be in the finals in London, the [Nitto] ATP Finals, why not as well in a hard-court Slam?’ Since then I know that I'm also playing very well on the faster surfaces.”

Djokovic is on a roll, winning 16 consecutive sets dating back to the fourth set of his first-round win against German Jan-Lennard Struff. Thiem, however, has had to battle this fortnight, going five sets in the second round against Alex Bolt, four hours and 10 minutes against top seed Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals and three hours and 42 minutes against Zverev in the last four.

“With all the adrenaline and everything, it's going to be fine. I played two super-intense matches against Rafa and now against Sascha. So of course I'm going to feel it, especially tomorrow,” Thiem said. “But I’m going to have great treatment, an easy hit tomorrow, and then of course try everything to be 100 per cent on Sunday night.”

[ATP APP]

Thiem showed some of his best form to defeat Nadal on Wednesday, winning three tie-breaks under pressure against the Spanish legend. And he did not suffer a letdown against Zverev, rallying after dropping the first set and going after his shots when it mattered most.

“I had big issues with that two, three years ago, when I was beating a big guy. Almost all the time I lost my next match. But with experience and with more times when you are facing that situation, it got better,” Thiem said. “Today in the beginning, I had some troubles. I was not in the zone straightaway in the match like against Rafa. It took a while, maybe 20, 30 minutes. But I think that's normal. You just have to fight through and stay full in the match.”

[MY POINT]

Thiem lost his first five ATP Head2Head meetings against Djokovic, winning just one set in those matches. But he has won four of their five clashes since, including a victory at last year’s Nitto ATP Finals.

“I won more of the last encounters than he did. But I think it doesn't count so much. It's absolutely his comfort zone here. He always plays his best tennis in Australia since many, many years. So I'm expecting that as well in the final,” Thiem said. “All I can do is my best again, playing great tennis again, and of course take a look at the past matches we had as well in Paris and also London, try to repeat the good stuff that I did there.”

Thiem knows that history is on Djokovic’s side in Melbourne, where the Serbian has never lost from the semi-finals on. But the World No. 5 carries good form and a dangerous game into the championship match.

“For sure he's the favourite. I mean, he’s won seven titles here, never lost a final, going for his eighth one,” Thiem said. “I'm feeling good on the court. I'm playing great tennis. So [I’ll] try to be at my absolute best on Sunday.”

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Dominic Thiem wants to use Rafael Nadal lesson against Novak Djokovic at Australian Open

Dominic Thiem takes on Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open Final.

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Zverev Nails Winning Approach In AO SF Run

Alexander Zverev will not leave Australia with his maiden Grand Slam title, but the 22-year-old German does seem to have nailed the right mindset for how to make deep runs at major championships.

The three-time ATP Masters 1000 champion advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open, falling to Dominic Thiem of Austria 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(3), 7-6(4) on Friday night.

Despite the loss, the run represents a major breakthrough for Zverev. Before this fortnight, he had reached two Roland Garros quarter-finals (2018, 2019), but never past the fourth round at any other Grand Slam.

In the past, Zverev said he would get caught looking too far ahead at majors. But this Australian Open, he has taken seriously the often-repeated “one-match-at-a-time” philosophy.

“I went here in a different way. I went match by match. Didn't look very far. I just knew I had opponents in front of me. I had to play well to beat them. That was it.

“Whenever I won, I'd sit down in the locker room and somebody told me who I'm playing next,” Zverev said. “I went step by step, match by match. Usually I [haven't done] that in Grand Slams.”

En route to the quarter-finals, Zverev didn't drop a set in beating 2018 Roland Garros semi-finalist Marco Cecchinato of Italy, Egor Gerasimov of Belarus, Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco and Russian Andrey Rublev, who was 11-0 in 2020 before their fourth-round matchup.

Zverev overcame a slow start in the quarter-finals to beat three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka, setting his semi-final against Thiem.

“I started playing really well I thought against Verdasco. I thought the first two matches I didn't play great. Got through them somehow, which was good. [In] the Verdasco, Rublev match I thought I started playing really well. From then on I played great tennis,” Zverev said.

He fell to 2-7 against Thiem in their ATP Head2Head series. Zverev converted 36 per cent (5/14) of his break points.

“I had a lot of chances. I had 14 break points. That should be plenty. In the important moments, I didn't play my best. He did. That's where the match kind of went his way,” he said. “We've had a lot of tight moments, four tight sets. In the third set, I had set points. In the fourth set, I had chances.

“Just got to execute better next time. But credit to him. He's playing unbelievable tennis right now.”

[LISTEN AO]

Zverev will remain at No. 7 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, but moves closer to passing No. 6 Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece. Despite feeling disappointed about the loss, Zverev credited Thiem for his best run at the Australian Open yet.

“I was nervous in the beginning. I think that's normal. At the end of the day, as I said, it was a great match. He played some very high-level tennis. He was the best opponent I played this week. Credit to him. He deserves to be in the final,” Zverev said.

“I think we had some amazing rallies. But it was not like a low-level match where you could see we're nervous or something like that. I think he has a chance in the finals, though, if he's physically fine. He did play a lot of long matches. But we'll see.”

Zverev had promised to donate all AU $4.12 million in prize money to Australian bushfire relief efforts if he had won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne. But he still will donate AU $50,000 – $10,000 for each win – to the cause.

“The Australian crowd is always very nice to me. I love playing here. They know I love playing here. I always feel welcomed here. That was great,” Zverev said. “Unfortunately, I could not make it happen with all the prize money. As I said, I will keep my promise. I will donate the $50,000 and hope that can help a little bit.”

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Alexander Zverev backs Dominic Thiem to upset Novak Djokovic in Australian Open final

Alexander Zverev believes Dominic Thiem can win the Australian Open title.

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Dominic Thiem curses Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal luck at Australian Open

Dominic Thiem has cursed his Grand Slam final luck.

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Thiem: From A Gruelling Off-season To The Australian Open Final

Editor's Note: This story was updated Friday, 31 January, 8.30am ET

Dominic Thiem is one of the most physical players on the ATP Tour. His groundstrokes are not only powerful, but bruising, with heavy topspin keeping opponents back deep behind the baseline. The Austrian’s game is punishing, as he is happy to maintain that level of physicality for as many hours as it takes to grind his opponents down.

On Wednesday night in Melbourne, Thiem survived an exhausting four-hour, 10-minute marathon against one of the game's most physical players, Rafael Nadal, to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Then on Friday, he battled past Alexander Zverev in three hours and 42 minutes to reach his first Grand Slam final on hard courts.

How does Thiem do it? It all starts in the pre-season for the World No. 5, and Thiem brought the ATP Tour behind the scenes in Miami last December for a look into the work he puts into his conditioning.

“Now is the time to really get the body ready because there won’t be any time off where I can practise like this, so I try to use it as well as possible and try to get the body ready for everything that is ahead [in 2020],” Thiem said.

One of Thiem’s coaches, Nicolas Massu, would put his charge through one tough session per day on the court. But Thiem also grit his teeth through two off-court conditioning sessions per day. For example, he’d have a beach workout, tennis practice, and then a track workout at the end of the day.

“Self motivation is a very important thing. I have it in me, which is very nice. But of course there are also days when my team has to push me,” Thiem said. “Hard work is the only way to repeat my good success from last year and hopefully even improve it. Of course it helps a little bit for the start of 2020, but there is still room for improvement in 2020 and that’s what I’m working for.”

Massu, who began working with Thiem in 2019, said that while they were in Miami, it was less about ironing out specific tennis details in terms of technique, but his physicality on the court, to make sure he is prepared for the new season.

“It’s amazing how he practises. All the time, 100 per cent, he’s very focussed all the time,” Massu said. “He tries to improve every day, so for me as a coach it’s amazing because he’s a guy who wants to win all the time.”

Thiem also had plenty of support with him throughout his training block, with two fitness coaches — Dr. Michael Reinprecht and Duglas Cordero — as well as physio Alex Stober by his side. They constantly monitored Thiem’s heart rate to see how long it took him to recover from certain drills, and used a laser beam to measure the exact speed of some sprints.

“Dominic is an amazing player. He is working very, very hard. It is amazing the high intensity he puts in for every exercise,” Cordero said. “The preseason is very important because if you get a good preseason, it’s possible to, [when you] combine it with good tennis, [to] keep the performance all year.”

The team ran Thiem through what they called “gladiator training” to simulate short bursts of intensity — like what occurs during points — and staying active between those bursts. At one point, the reigning BNP Paribas Open champion ran 15 consecutive sprints to learn the maximum speed he could reach over a small distance, and according to Dr. Reinprecht, his 15th sprint was just as quick as his first.

“Of course I’m tired almost every day, but it’s okay,” Thiem said. “I’m tired all year long.”

Thiem tires himself during the off-season so he’s ready to suffer during matches. And that is what has led him to his success.

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The Last Time Djokovic, Thiem Played Before Australian Open Final

Editor's note: This story was published on 2 December 2019.

Continuing our Season In Review series, ATPTour.com looks at the six best ATP Tour matches in 2019. (The best Grand Slam matches will be featured Tuesday.)

6) Alexander Zverev d. Roger Federer, Rolex Shanghai Masters, Shanghai Quarter-finals, 11 October 2019 (Match Stats)
Alexander Zverev arrived at the Rolex Shanghai Masters without having made an ATP Masters 1000 semi-final all year. In the quarter-finals, he faced a tough test against two-time champion Roger Federer. But despite letting slip five match points in the second set, the German battled hard for a 6-3, 6-7(7), 6-3 victory against the 38-year-old Swiss, who had never previously lost a Shanghai quarter-final (5-1).

Zverev served for the match at 6-3, 6-5 40/0, but Federer raised his level, with two sensational volleys in particular helping him to win the next five points and then save two additional match points in the tie-break. But the German settled down and continued to play the aggressive tennis that earned him the lead in the first place, using that to triumph after two hours and four minutes. Zverev (4-3) joined Rafael Nadal (24-16) and Novak Djokovic (now 26-23) as the three active players with at least seven matches and a winning FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Federer.

Read More: Zverev Upsets Federer In Shanghai

“Obviously it was an important match. The head-to-head is obviously a great thing to have, but more importantly for me is it was a match to kind of maybe turn my year around a little bit,” Zverev said. “The [ATP] Race to London is also very important.”

Entering the week, Zverev was in eighth place in the Race, with his spot in the season finale still in doubt. But he used this match to move past Roberto Bautista Agut for seventh, and he’d end up qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third straight year, riding his renewed form to a spot in the London semi-finals to finish his season on a high note.

5) Novak Djokovic d. Juan Martin del Potro, Internazionali BNL d’Italia, Rome Quarter-finals, 17 May 2019 (Match Stats)
Rain washed out Wednesday action in Rome this year, meaning the players would need to win two matches on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals. Given it was only Juan Martin del Potro’s third tournament of the season as he continued his recovery from a knee injury, it seemed that would give the edge to World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for their clash in the last eight on Friday.

Djokovic had won the pair’s two past FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings in Rome and seven of their previous eight matches. But Del Potro came out swinging, giving the Serbian all he could handle. Djokovic needed to save two match points to navigate past the Argentine’s powerful best, triumphing 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4 in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Read More: Novak Saves 2 MPs Against Delpo In Rome

“[There was] luck in the decisive moments in the second set tie-break. He was playing really good. I tried my best obviously all the way till the end...He was playing really well. Gave me a lot of trouble,” Djokovic said. “But I never lost faith I could come back to the match."

This battle was a classic match of relentless offence against dogged defence, and it was Djokovic’s defence that prevailed after three hours and one minute. The Serbian went on to reach the final and the semi-finals at Roland Garros, while Del Potro only played two more tournaments the rest of the season, re-injuring his knee at the Fever-Tree Championships.

4) Stefanos Tsitsipas d. Dominic Thiem, Nitto ATP Finals, London Final, 17 November 2019 (Match Stats)
The championship match of the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals had a lot at stake for both Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem, with both men pursuing the biggest title of their career. But despite letting slip a break in the deciding set, it was Tsitsipas who triumphed one year on from claiming the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy in Milan, defeating the Austrian 6-7(6), 6-2, 7-6(4) after two hours and 35 minutes.

“It was pretty frustrating for me to be playing with such nerves for the first time in such a big event. I was a break up, I couldn’t manage to hold it,” Tsitsipas said. “Things were decided in the tie-break and I am so relieved by this outstanding performance and fight that I gave out on the court.”

Read More: Stefanos Lands London Crown

Tsitsipas served as a hitting partner at the 2016 Nitto ATP Finals, at the time posting a picture on social media with Thiem, with whom he trained during the Austrian’s debut at the season finale. Just three years later, he lifted the trophy, becoming the fourth straight first-time champion at the event. He was also the first player since David Nalbandian in 2005 to recover from losing the opening set and claim the title.

“[The crowd support] is just phenomenal, having such an army behind me while I am on the court. They give me so much energy. They give me belief that I can achieve the things I want to achieve on the court.”

Tsitsipas’ biggest weapons had been his serve and forehand. But it was backhand that stood out against the big-hitting Thiem, as the Greek played more than a set of the match without missing a backhand, using that to turn things around.

3) Nick Kyrgios d. Stefanos Tsitspas, Citi Open, Washington, D.C. SF, 4 August 2019 (Match Stats)
When high-quality tennis and entertainment go hand-in-hand, the outcome is usually pretty special. And that was the case in Nick Kyrgios’ 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7) win against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Citi Open semi-finals.

Early in the match, everything the Aussie touched seemingly turned to gold, going for every shot you could think of, using his power to overwhelm the Greek. But even after dropping his level in the second set, Kyrgios regained his form, saving a match point at 5/6 in the final-set tie-break with a service winner and clinching the semi-final with a booming serve-and-forehand combo.

But while the tennis was memorable in itself, it was everything that went with it that made this one of the matches of the year. After finding an acute angle on a backhand drop volley in the first set, Kyrgios jogged several metres to the side of the court to fist bump some fans.

Read More: Nick Saves 1 MP, Battles Past Stefanos

Later on, for the second straight match, Tsitsipas needed a shoe delivery in the middle of the match. And Kyrgios, who was waiting at the back of the court for the end of the changeover, willingly ran shoes from Apostolos Tsitsipas over to the top seed, getting down on one knee and holding them out as Tsitsipas cracked up in laughter.

The theatrics weren’t done just yet, as Kyrgios continued a trend he began earlier in the week by asking a fan where to serve on match point. Kyrgios improved to 4-1 against Top 10 players on the season, and he would go on to defeat Daniil Medvedev for his second ATP 500 title of the year.

“This week has been awesome. It's probably one of the best tournament weeks of my life. I've really enjoyed myself. D.C. has been a lot of fun. Crowds have been awesome,” Kyrgios said. “But I'm just doing the right things. I'm having the same routine every day. I'm trying to improve on a lot of little habits, and it's paying off. Five days in a row competing, I'm pretty happy with myself.”

2) Dominic Thiem d. Roger Federer, BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells Final, 17 March 2019 (Match Stats)
Dominic Thiem got off to a slow start in 2019, losing four of his first seven matches, including two defeats on clay. The Austrian had never won an ATP Masters 1000 event, making both of his finals at that level on the clay of Madrid.

But that did not stop Thiem from playing some of the best tennis of his career in Indian Wells, defeating five-time champion Roger Federer 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 to win the BNP Paribas Open crown on hard courts.

“It feels just unreal what happened in these ten days during the tournament. I came from a really bad form in all categories, and now I'm the champion of Indian Wells. It feels not real at all,” Thiem said. “It was a great week, and I think also a very good final today. Just amazing that I got here, my first really big title.”

Read More: Thiem Topples Federer For Maiden Masters 1000 Title

Thiem showed that when he is firing on all cylinders, he can succeed on any surface. Then 25, he used his power from the baseline and heavy spin to hit winners from all angles, totalling 24 in the match, increasing his level to top what was a strong effort from Federer, who had won 20 straight finals after claiming the first set.

“I'm not too disappointed. I feel like he had to come up with the goods, and it did feel like to some extent it was on my racquet,” Federer said. “[I] just came up against somebody who was on the day a bit better when it really mattered.”

Neither player gave up ground from the baseline, and Thiem saved a break point at 3-4 in the decider. Federer came within two points of victory at 5-4, as Thiem slipped and fell on the baseline, resulting in a bloody elbow. But the Austrian got out of trouble and chased down a couple of drop shots en route to his decisive break, ultimately leading to his biggest triumph.

1) Dominic Thiem d. Novak Djokovic, Nitto ATP Finals, London RR, 12 November 2019 (Match Stats)
Every match at the Nitto ATP Finals was critical for Novak Djokovic, as the Serbian was making a late push to secure the year-end No. 1 ATP Ranking for a record-tying sixth time. But Thiem put a dent in those plans, rallying from 1/4 down in a final-set tie-break to defeat Djokovic 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5).

“Probably it was maybe the best match I ever played. It was a real classic and epic match which will happen from time to time at these big tournaments,” Thiem said. “It had everything what a match like this needs. He was up; I was up. He was playing amazing points. Me, I was playing amazing points. And then I think the match deserved an end in the third-set tiebreak.”

Thiem had won just one match in each of his first three visits to the Nitto ATP Finals. But this victory gave him back-to-back wins over Roger Federer and Djokovic to start his 2019 campaign at The O2, guaranteeing himself a spot in the semi-finals.

”This was really one of these special matches, what I’ve practised all my life for, all my childhood for,” Thiem said. “[It was a] really epic one in an amazing atmosphere, beating a legend of our game. And also I’ve qualified for the semi-finals, which is the best.”

Read More: Thiem Stuns Djokovic At The O2

This was the first time that Thiem defeated Djokovic on hard court, and it was due in large part to the 26-year-old raising his aggression to an incredibly high level. Djokovic has long proven himself one of the best defenders in the world, but even the Serbian’s speed and Gumby-like flexibility was not enough to match the Austrian’s onslaught.

“I thought he deserved to win. He just played very courageous tennis and [was] just smacking the ball. He went for broke,” Djokovic said. “The entire match he played same way he played the last point. I mean, I have to put my hat down and congratulate him, because he just played a great match.”

This victory forced Djokovic to defeat Federer in his final round-robin match to maintain his dreams of capturing year-end No. 1, but it was not to be for the Serbian, who fell to the Swiss in straight sets.

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Dominic Thiem blames Rafael Nadal battle for Alexander Zverev struggles at Australian Open

Dominic Thiem beat Alexander Zverev to reach the Australian Open final.

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Dominic Thiem sets up Novak Djokovic Australian Open final with Alexander Zverev win

Dominic Thiem will play Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.

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Roger Federer retirement indicator dropped by Tennis Australia chief Craig Tiley

Roger Federer exited the Australian Open at the semi-final stage.

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Novak Djokovic backed to eclipse Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for two reasons

Novak Djokovic has been backed to go down as the greatest player of all time.

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Alexander Zverev vs Dominic Thiem play suspended for bizarre reason at Australian Open

Alexander Zverev and Dominic Thiem had a 10-minute delay during the third set.

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Alexander Zverev bounced back after 'messed up' Australian Open plans with Roger Federer

Alexander Zverev made a terrible start to the year at the ATP Cup.

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Roger Federer dropped two retirement hints after Novak Djokovic loss at Australian Open

Former world No 8 Alicia Molik spotted two potential Roger Federer retirement hints.

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Alexander Zverev hits back at critics with spiky message over Grand Slam record

Alex Zverev has hit back at critics ahead of his Australian Open semi-final with Dominic Thiem.

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Semi-final Preview: 'No Secrets' When Thiem Meets Zverev

After losing last year’s championship match at the Nitto ATP Finals, Dominic Thiem boldly declared that he’s “pretty sure we’re going to see a new and young Grand Slam champion next year.” That could happen as soon as this week, with the fourth seed battling seventh seed Alexander Zverev on Friday for a place in the Australian Open final.

Having faced Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal in three of his four semi-finals at Roland Garros, Thiem is used to being an underdog at this juncture of major championship. He’ll be the on-paper favourite this time when he meets Zverev. Thiem leads their ATP Head2Head rivalry 6-2, including a straight-sets win last year in the semi-finals of the Nitto ATP Finals.

“For me, it's funny because it's the first time in a Grand Slam semi-final that I face a younger guy,” Thiem said. "We’re good friends. I'm happy for him, as well, that he's playing so good here. He made his breakthrough at a Grand Slam.

“We have no secrets from each other. We played so many times, also on very special occasions already, at the [Nitto] ATP Finals, semi-finals, Roland Garros quarter-finals. It's a nice rivalry we have. It's great that we add an Australian Open semi-final to this one.”

Read More: A Trip Through The Life Of Thiem's Coach

After surviving a five-set scare in the second round against Aussie wild card Alex Bolt, Thiem elevated his game with each match. His marathon four-set victory over top seed Rafael Nadal was a microcosm of all the improvements he’s made over the years.

The Austrian cracked 65 winners, many of them with his beefed-up forehand, and showed his increased willingness to move forward by winning 25 of 33 net points (76%). Thiem’s stamina after four hours of play also reflected his hard work during a grueling pre-season in Miami. Recovering quickly from his intense clash with Nadal will be essential since Thiem has spent far more time on court this tournament (14:33) than Zverev (10:25).

Read & Watch: Thiem's Road To 2020

Zverev can be forgiven for keeping his expectations low after losing all three of his singles matches earlier this month for Team Germany at the ATP Cup, but the 22-year-old is back in business this fortnight. Displaying the tennis that’s brought him 11 ATP Tour titles, including the 2018 season finale at The O2, he’s only dropped one set en route to his best showing at a Grand Slam.

“I was paying too much attention to them. I was just playing better tennis at the other tournaments… The Grand Slams maybe meant too much for me,” Zverev said. "I was doing things, in a way, too professional. I was not talking to anybody. I wasn't going out with friends. I wasn't having dinner. I was almost too focussed."

He changed his tactics this tournament by "doing much more things outside the court" and adopting a more relaxed approach. Instead of pushing too eagerly for his Grand Slam breakthrough, Zverev admitted that he "wasn't really expecting myself in the semi-finals or quarter-finals… Maybe this is a stepping stone. Maybe this is how it should happen. We'll see how it goes in two days."

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Zverev seeks to become just the 10th first-time Grand Slam finalist in the past decade. Only two of those players (Wawrinka & Cilic) went on to take the title.

When the German’s serve is in full flight, he's able to use booming serves to set up one-two punches with his forehand. In his quarter-final clash with No. 15 seed Stan Wawrinka, Zverev landed 84 per cent of his first-serves (63/75) in the last three sets and won 79 per cent (50/63) of his first-serve points.

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Those numbers are a stark contrast from the serve troubles that plagued him over the past 12 months. Zverev averaged 5.9 double faults per match last season and the issue only worsened during the US Open, where he averaged 10.8 per match and hit 17 in his fourth-round defeat to Diego Schwartzman. It appeared that the problem might carry into 2020 after he served 31 double faults in his three matches at the ATP Cup. But Zverev's remarkable turnaround in Melbourne has kept him to just nine double faults in five matches.  

Maintaining that level will be essential against Thiem, who is widely considered one of the best returners in the game. Zverev will need to keep the points short and avoid lengthy rallies with the tireless Austrian. Thiem won 15 of 24 rallies that lasted more than seven shots in his quarter-final with Nadal. The longer the match goes, the more it will likely swing in favor of Thiem, who produced a 15-3 record last year in deciding sets.

But Zverev will likely have plenty of crowd support as his promise to donate "every single cent" of his prize money to bushfire relief if he takes the title -- more than AU$4 million -- moves closer to fruition. He'll also take confidence in holding wins over the other three players remaining in the draw. If he can defeat them in the world’s biggest ATP Tour events, there’s no reason why he can’t in a Grand Slam.

“I did beat Stan just now, who is also a multiple-Grand Slam champion, which gives me a little bit of confidence that I can do it,” Zverev said. “I hope I can still continue to play better in the semi-finals and hopefully maybe in the final. The people that I'm going to play are not getting worse.”

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