Nadal, Medvedev to meet in Australian Open men's finalThe second-seeded Daniil Medvedev will play Rafael Nadal in the men's final of the Australian Open on Sunday. The two men scored four-set victories in their respective semifinals on Friday. Nadal is bidding for a men's-record 21st Grand Slam singles title, while Medvedev is looking to become the first man to win his first two Grand Slams at back-to-back-events.

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Rafael Nadal is within one victory of a men's record 21st Grand Slam singles title.

He'll have to beat second-seeded Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final on Sunday to make history. And Medvedev is chasing a piece of history of his own after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in a heated semifinal on Friday. The U.S. Open champion is aiming to be the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the next major tournament.

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Nadal advanced to the final in Australia for the sixth time with a 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win in a mostly lopsided contest against seventh-seeded Matteo Berrettini in the first of the men's semifinals.

Medvedev had a more tempestuous and challenging run to back-to-back Australian Open finals. He had to deal with a hostile crowd in his second-round win over Nick Kyrgios, had to save a match point and rally from two sets down to beat Felix Auger-Aliassime in a nearly five-hour quarter-final win. Then he had to regain his composure after an angry outburst in the second set of the semifinals.

The Russian yelled at chair umpire Jaume Campistol in the changeover after serving a double-fault to concede a late break, getting a code violation for a visible obscenity when he made a gesture with his arm to the pro-Tsitsipas crowd, and then demanded that his opponent be cautioned for receiving coaching from his father — in Greek — from the stands.

WATCH | Medvedev aiming to win 2nd-straight Grand Slam tournament:

Daniil Medvedev to meet Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final

9 hours agoDuration 2:31Russia's Daniil Medvedev dispatched Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece 7-6 (5), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to reach the Australian Open final, where he will look to become the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title in consecutive tournaments.2:31

Medvedev returned after Tsitsipas converted his third set point to level the match and he again urged the umpire to give the French Open runner-up a code violation.

He then took a five-minute break, took control late in the third set and then reeled off the last five games after Tsitsipas was eventually cautioned for coaching.

Solo ownership of record within Nadal's reach

Nadal's run to a 29th Grand Slam final has been comparatively serene.

After the last point, he stopped, beamed a wide grin and then punched the air three times.

Nadal arrived in Australia not knowing how long he would last after months off the tour dealing with a serious foot injury and then a bout of COVID-19. He skipped Wimbledon after losing in the French Open semifinals to Novak Djokovic, and didn't play at all after August.

"Every day has been an issue in terms of problems on the foot. Doubts still here ... probably for the rest of my career," Nadal said. "But for me it's amazing ... [to] just compete and play tennis at the high level again, facing the most important players of the world."

Last month, he wasn't even sure he'd be able to return to the tour. But he won a tune-up tournament in Melbourne and has taken six straight matches at the first Grand Slam event of the year.

WATCH | Nadal reaches final in search of men's record 21st Grand Slam title:

Nadal books spot in Australian Open final with win over Berrettini

19 hours agoDuration 2:56Spain's Rafael Nadal beats Matteo Berrettini of Italy 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Australian Open.More tennis coverage

(editor：)