Tireless Dominic Thiem came from a set down to outlast German Alexander Zverev and make his first Australian Open final Friday, booking a showdown with seven-time champion Novak Djokovic, a man he called the "king".
The 26-year-old fifth seed, the first player from Austria ever to reach the Melbourne decider, battled past seventh-ranked Zverev 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4) on a sweltering evening.
"It was an unreal match, two tie-breakers, so tough and so close. It was almost impossible to break him," said Thiem.
"Being in the Australian Open final is unreal. What a start to the season for me."
"I need to try and be in the zone straight away on Sunday night."
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