Tsitsipas' 3 qualities Nadal needs to be wary of in the Australian Open 2019 Semi-Final

It is certain without a doubt that whosoever lifts the winner's trophy this Sunday, the 2019 Australian Open will be remembered for the exploits of the 20-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek has had a memorable tournament so far by reaching his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final, the first from his nation.

After sensationally dethroning current and six-time winner Roger Federer in the 4th Round and holding off Bautista Agut in the quarters, he now squares off against one of the game's very best, Rafael Nadal for a spot in the final.

Nadal hasn't been tested yet at this year's showpiece in Melbourne

#Head to Head - Nadal 2-0 Tsitsipas

Nadal and Tsitsipas clashed twice in 2018, first in the Barcelona Open final where Nadal gave the Greek a taste of his invincibility on clay, winning 6-2 6-1.

Tsitsipas came close to taking it to a decider set in the second meeting in the Canadian Open final, but Nadal managed to hold off with a 6-2 7-6 (7-4) victory.

Although Nadal will be the overwhelming favourite when they meet again on 24th January, Tsitsipas is now much improved and should not be taken lightly. Here are the Greek's three qualities which could force the Spaniard to dig deep.

#1 NET PLAY

Tsitspas does not fear to play at the nets

Remember when a younger Federer used to constantly frustrate his opponents, especially the likes of Nadal, by making frequent runs to the nets and dictating the play? Well, Tsitsipas loves to play near the nets in order to secure points during his service games. He was able to keep his serve from breaking against Federer many times during their encounter.

Since that doesn't make it theoretically easy for Nadal to break his serve, he needs to be clever in his shot selection, direction, and accuracy. The all-powerful forehand down the baseline maybe his rescue.

#2 ACE IN NUMBERS

Tsitsipas has hit close to 20 aces in all his matches here in Melbourne. He's found to be using aces to protect his serves and secure quick and consecutive points easily. As a matter of surprise, he put 20 aces past Federer and surpassed the ace master's paltry tally of 12.

One simply can't do much about aces, still, Nadal may have to think about his returns for the rest of the serves coming his way. Here, his best bet may be to try and at least fire the ball over the net as many times as possible.

#3 THE DREADED ONE-HAND BACKHAND

Once a rarity, the one-hand backhand has now become a common feature in tennis, especially among the next-gen stars. Tsitsipas, along with Shapovalov, Thiem have propelled this skill at the forefront of modern tennis. Having a one-handed backhand gives more control to the player when it comes to the direction and power of the shot although, with caution to the elbow. The shot enables to exploit angles on the court which earlier were physically limited using both the hands.

Nadal has had his share of suffering from this shot by the likes of Federer, Wawrinka, Thiem and may have to again if the Greek uses it to the best. For the ones coming on to his backhand, Nadal will have to rely on his famed anti-dote, the cross-court backhand.

Australian Open 2019, Semi Final: Rafael Nadal vs Stefanos Tsitsipas, Preview and Prediction