• Greek third seed beats Russian second seed Karen Khachanov.
• Tsitsipas wins his first Grand Slam title on Sunday.
• I’ve wanted to put Greek tennis on the map for many years.

Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed to be living the dream after becoming the first player to reach the Australian Open final on Friday and approaching the top spot in the world rankings.

Greek third seed, who will face either American Tommy Paul or nine-time Melbourne champion Novak Djokovic, shown tenacity to upset Russian second seed Karen Khachanov.

After saving two match points to send the semi-final into a fourth set, the 18th-seeded Khachanov made a comeback attempt. However, Tsitsipas eventually prevailed 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), and 6-3.

If Tsitsipas wins his first Grand Slam title on Sunday, he will likely move to the top of the global rankings.

“I hoped as a kid that one day I’d get to play on this court against the top players in the world,” Tsitsipas said after reaching the Australian Open semi-finals for the fourth time.

“So I’m pleased with the fight I put up today. I consider myself fortunate to be able to play tennis at this level.

“I’ve wanted to put Greek tennis on the map for many years.”

Tsitsipas, 24, is the youngest man to reach the Australian Open final since Djokovic, 23, in 2011.

Tsitsipas has flourished in Melbourne throughout his career, having dethroned defending champion Roger Federer in the last 16 as a 20-year-old during the 2019 event.

He went on to reach the semi-finals that year, as well as the finals in 2021 and 2022, falling one match short each time.

A Grand Slam title has eluded him, with his best result so far a runner-up finish at Roland Garros in 2021, falling to Djokovic in five sets after having a 2-0 lead.

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