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MADRID — A year ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas was still a teenager and still playing in the qualifying tournaments of some of the most prestigious events on clay.
But he has come a long way in a short time, often a mark of tennis greatness. Late Saturday night with the crowd and the odds very much against him, Tsitsipas reaffirmed his rapid rise by surprising Rafael Nadal, the most successful clay-court player in history.
His 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 victory over Nadal in the semifinals of the Madrid Open earned Tsitsipas a spot in Sunday’s final against Novak Djokovic, the world’s top-ranked player.