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From the Melbourne, Wertheim talks with Tennis Channel commentator Mary Carillo.

As the final days of the 2017 Australian Open approach, Wertheim talks with Carillo about what has happened in the tournament so far, including Simona Halep’s first round loss, the upsets of Novak Djokovic, Angelique Kerber and Andy Murray and the current remaining players, including Venus and Serena Williams. Wertheim and Carillo breakdown the various storylines of their final matchup, how they are still competing for Grand Slam titles at 35 and 36 years of age and how remarkable their tennis story really is.

Carillo also talks about Roger Federer, his longevity and his run to the Australian Open final, and possible matchup against Rafael Nadal. Wertheim and Carillo also talk about Nick Kyrgios, Grigor Dimitrov and more.

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Nadal’s 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (4), 6-4 win over Grigor Dimitrov in a grueling, 4-hour, 56-minute semifinal match sets up a championship weekend at the Australian Open like no other, with every singles finalist in their 30s.

The all-Williams women’s final Saturday features the record-chasing Serena against Venus – the first decider between the sisters at a major since 2009. The Roger-Rafa final will be Sunday – their first meeting in an Australian Open title match since Nadal won in 2009.

The unexpected pairings already has generated hype that transcends the sport.

“I feel that this rivalry is talked about outside the tennis world, and that is good for our sport,” Nadal said of his ninth Grand Slam final against the 17-time major champion.

The 35-year-old Federer and the Williams sisters – Serena is 35, a year younger than Venus – had already clinched their finals spots on Throwback Thursday.

The second-seeded pair had to scramble from behind to eventually overwhelm Czech Andrea Hlavackova and China’s Peng Shuai 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-3 in a tense final.

It extended the pair’s unbeaten record to 12 matches at Melbourne Park – they won the 2015 doubles title in their debut as a team, but didn’t play together last year because illness forced Safarova to miss the championships.

It was their fourth Grand Slam success after also winning the 2015 French Open and last year’s US Open. Not only did Mattek-Sands strengthen her grip on the No.1 ranking and Safarova rose to a career-high No.2, the pair shared 660,000 Australian dollars ($500,000) in prizemoney.

The victors did a rehearsed dance routine on Rod Laver Arena after being presented with their trophies and held aloft the perpetual cup.

“We were celebrating like 5-year-old kids out there. When we got the trophy and saw our names on it and to know they will be on it again is special,” Mattek-Sands said. “She’s my rock out there. We play aggressive and have fun. We really balance each other out.”

Male players, on the other hand, have lagged behind. Despite increased investment and improved resources at home, a mainland Chinese male player has never broken into the top 100 in the rankings.

This could be about to change. The 17-year-old Wu Yibing is gaining attention for his all-court game and quick rise up the junior rankings, giving China hope it may someday have a male star on par with the two-time major winner Li Na to help grow the sport even further in the country.

Wu’s star has been steadily rising in Asia, but it was his performance at the prestigious Orange Bowl tournament in Florida in December that showed how much promise he has. Wu made it all the way to the final, losing to defending champion Miomir Kecmanovic of Serbia.

Wu’s ranking then shot up to No. 3 and he was the top seed at the Australian Open boys’ championship – his highest seeding at a junior major tournament. He lost Friday in the semifinals to Yshai Oliel of Israel 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

“I think it’s tough to be top seed,” he told reporters in English at a packed news conference (another first). “I think it’s so many things different and I have to be more focused and more confident.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 27: Sania Mirza of India and Ivan Dodig of Croatia talk tactics against Samantha Stosur and Sam Groth of Australia in their mixed doubles semifinal match on day 12 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 27, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

Mirza and Ivan Dodig reached the final after ending the hopes of local pair Sam Groth and Samantha Stosur 6-4, 2-6, 10-5 in Friday’s semifinals on Rod Laver Arena.

Mirza won the 2009 Australian Open mixed doubles title with fellow Indian Maheshi Bhupathi. She reached the 2016 French Open final with Dodig, losing to Martina Hingis and Leander Paes.

Groth and Stosur squandered a 4-2 lead, surrendering four successive games to lose the opening set, but the Australian pair rallied strongly to send the match into a deciding tiebreak set.

Here are five ways Serena and Venus Williams can make history in the 2017 Australian Open final.

1) Serena’s going for her 23rd major, which would be the new Open Era record.

Serena is currently tied with Steffi Graf at 22 majors, the most in the Open Era, male or female. If she wins the Australian Open she’ll separate herself from the German as the new record-holder with 23.

To top that off, she’d be just one away from Australian Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24.

2) Venus would move up in the record books if she wins, too.

Incredibly, it seems that you have to be thirty or older – in some cases a lot older – to reach the semi-final of a Grand Slam. With the shining exceptions of two 25 year olds, Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov and America’s Coco Vandeweghe, all the other six men’s and women’s semi-finalists were of a generation that started their careers more than ten years ago.

In fact, to put it into a social perspective concerning the way our lives have changed so dramatically, when Serena Williams first played Mirjana Lucic in 1998, Google did not exist. That really was a different age.

Tennis stats emphasize just how different as far as our game is concerned. Serena’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, showed me some graphs that highlight the ageing of the game. In 2000, Grand Slam men’s singles draws had an average of 9 players over the age of thirty. Today that number has ballooned to 46. Has there ever been such an age-related shift in the history of any sport?  Talk about an ageing population! But does it matter and why is it happening?

Asking people who play, coach or analyze the game does not provide you with clear cut answers. The first reaction is an expression of puzzlement. No one denies that there is a new and exciting generation of talent waiting in the wings, especially amongst the boys, but that is where they remain. In the wings.

The only player of 21 or younger to get as far as the fourth round in either draw was Jenny Brady from Florida who was ranked 116 in the world. She proved herself to be a fighter by outlasting Britain’s Heather Watson 10-8 in the third and then defeated Elena Vesnina, the 14th seed from Russian 7-6, 6-2. But Lucic-Baroni beat her 6-4, 6-2. That was a great effort from Brady but no one is regarding her as a future Grand Slam winner.

(Yours truly on the case during Federer-Wawrinka semi)

Rafael Nadal: Hit the Wall & Start Over

Early Thursday afternoon, Rafael Nadal and his team stood in the rather austere waiting area that lies in between the tournament desk and the player dining area.  The plan had been to head out to practice.  But rain had hit.  The movement towards the court would be halted.  Nadal, killing time seemingly everywhere but on a tennis court, was now in his familiar coiled pace mode.  For others, it would appear a nervous pose.  You could almost imagine Nadal putting one hand in a pants pocket, jiggling a few coins without even knowing what he was doing.  But for Nadal, this was routine, what a delay of time at a tournament was all about.  Time again to kill.  The ball he lived to strike would have to wait.

Or would it?  A tennis ball was placed on the ground.  Another.  Nadal’s new coach, Carlos Moya, took a thoughtful look downward at four tennis balls that now sat on the white linoleum floor.

Like Nadal, Moya was raised in Mallorca.  Nearly a decade older than Nadal, Moya had at one point been a mentor for Rafa.  A longstanding tennis tale: Moya, who had been ranked number one in the world, won the French Open and been runner-up here in Australia, asked the young Rafa if he hoped to have as good a career as Moya had.  Nadal paused, but not for long.  Photos of the young Rafa reveal a rather cute lad, graced with soulful brown eyes and ample hair; but also, the devout, understated confidence of a boy certain his life would be lived as a world class athlete.

The 35-year-old Williams arrived in Australia bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title, aiming to break the Open-era record she shares with Steffi Graf. By winning, she’d also regain the No. 1 ranking she lost after her U.S. Open semifinal exit.

She doesn’t enjoy the suspense, or talk about the number. Her older sister, Venus, knows that better than anyone after their two decades of competing together in the majors.

Now the 36-year-old Venus is the potential roadblock, back in a major final for the first time since she lost the previous all-Williams Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2009.

“I just feel like no matter what happens, we’ve won,” Serena said. “A Williams is going to win this tournament.”

Venus hasn’t added to her seven major titles since Wimbledon in 2008, but is in her best form since being diagnosed with energy-sapping Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011.

It’s time to set some new goals.

The 25-year-old American exceeded even her own expectations at the year’s first Grand Slam, upsetting top-ranked and defending champion Angelique Kerber and French Open champion Garbine Muguruza on her way to the semifinals.

She nearly went yet another step to the final, taking the first set against Venus Williams on Thursday before ultimately falling 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.

“I’m very happy with starting the year this way, putting validation to the hard work that I’ve put in during the off-season, the sacrifices,” she said. “But, you know, at the same time I’m not satisfied. There’s a disappointment factor because I’m not satisfied. I think that’s a good thing.”

Vandeweghe, a former U.S. Open junior champion, has long had the potential to break through at the elite level and compete for majors, but lacked consistency on her booming groundstrokes and the composure to keep her emotions in check.

No. 2-ranked Serena Williams, a six-time Australian Open winner, overwhelmed Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1 in just 50 minutes in the second of women’s semifinals on Thursday after Venus Williams beat fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.

“She’s my toughest opponent – nobody has ever beaten me as much as Venus has,” Serena Williams said. “I just feel like no matter what happens, we’ve won.

“She’s been through a lot, I’ve been through a lot. To see her do so well it’s great. I look forward to it. A Williams is going to win this tournament.”

The 36-year-old Venus Williams is back in a Grand Slam final for the first time since Wimbledon in 2009 and her first in Australia since 2003, when she lost the only previous all-Williams final at Melbourne Park.

She tossed her racket after clinching the 2-hour, 26-minute semifinal on her fourth match point and put her hands up to her face, almost in disbelief, before crossing her arms over her heart. She then did a stylish pirouette on the court, smiling broadly, as the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

For a start, the 14-time major winner is aware Dimitrov broke through against him last time, in Beijing less than four months ago. And the emerging Bulgarian picked up where he left off late last year by winning the singles title in Brisbane three weeks ago in the perfect lead-up to the season’s first major championship.

“He’s a player that has an unbelievable talent, unbelievable potential,” Nadal said. “He started the season playing unbelievable.

“It’s going to be a very tough match for me. I hope for him, too. I’m going to try to play my best because I know he’s playing with high confidence.”

Nadal certainty won’t shy from another challenge and he draws strength from his own form that accounted for German teenager Alexander Zverev, Frenchman Gael Monfils and then big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic.

“I think all of them are top players. So that’s very important for me because that means that I’m competitive and playing well,” said Nadal, who won the Australian title in 2009. “Very happy that after a lot of work, to be in this round again. Is a special thing for me, especially here in Australia.”

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 26: Venus Williams of the United States celebrates winning match point in her semifinal match against CoCo Vandeweghe of the United States on day 11 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 26, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Williams tossed her racket after clinching it on her fourth match point and put her hands up to her face in disbelief before crossing her arms over her heart. She then did a stylish pirouette on the court as the crowd gave her a standing ovation.

“Everyone has their moment in the sun,” she said afterward. “Maybe mine has gone on a while. I’d like to keep that going. I’ve got nothing else to do.”

The 36-year-old Williams rallied in the match after dropping a set for the first time in the tournament, breaking Vandeweghe four times over the final two sets.

Everyone still enjoying the tennis?! I sure am. It’s not the tournament I hoped for with the early exit of Djokovic but it is a fresh change nonetheless with the return of Federer and Nadal to grand slam semi-finals.

Federer got there on Tuesday when he defeated Zverev 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 in a masterclass performance while Nadal got there today after defeating third seed Raonic 6-4, 7-6(7), 6-4. I wouldn’t call it a masterclass from Nadal because Raonic should have won the second set before choking with a double fault on set point in the second-set tiebreak.

But it was a very good performance nonetheless.

Federer was impeccable against Zverev from the get-go and despite strong attempts from Zverev in the second set to turn things around, Federer kept shutting the door time after time.

I don’t think Zverev’s level dropped at all after upsetting Murray. The quality of opposition was just that much better. It was really up to Murray to stand up to Federer and Nadal when Djokovic lost but he failed miserably.

Nearing the Close: The Old & The New

Down to the semis – and the chance of a remarkable set of finals.  On the women’s side, a possible Venus-Serena final.  For the men, perhaps a resurrection of Roger Federer versus Rafael Nadal.  The last time this scenario occurred – all four meeting in the finals of the same major – came at Wimbledon in 2008.  Though each of these four future Hall of Famers is technically favored in their respective semi, each is also up against a sharp, dangerous opponent.

Yet given all the contenders – the Williams sisters, ascending American Coco Vandeweghe, the remarkable Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, a resurgent Grigor Dimitrov, the forceful Stan Wawrinka and, of course, Federer and Nadal – it’s clear the tournament is headed towards a captivating finish.

Here’s a photo of my work space from inside our Tennis Channel booth, where I sit alongside our commentators.

Why did this particular match mean so much to both players? For Nadal, the last couple of seasons have been filled with a steady line of disappointments. Since capturing his 14th Grand Slam tournament singles title at Roland Garros in 2014, Nadal had played eight majors on his way to Melbourne this year, and not once had he advanced beyond the quarterfinals. For a man of his stature and a fellow accustomed to success on the highest level—he set a men’s record by winning at least one major a year for ten consecutive seasons starting in 2005 and ending in 2014—the notion of not even reaching the penultimate round at the preeminent events for so long was inconceivable. That was why he wanted to win so badly in this showdown with Raonic.

As for the burly Canadian, he had his own reasons for giving his all to secure a triumph on an important stage. The 26-year-old reached his first major semifinal at Wimbledon in 2014, and his second here in Melbourne a year ago. At Wimbledon last July, he advanced to his first major final. The game’s foremost authorities have been anticipating a Raonic breakthrough at a Grand Slam event all through these last couple of years as he has grown more comfortably into his talent. He did not want to let an opportunity to move into another semifinal at a Grand Slam event elude his grasp. And having just beaten Nadal on hard courts in the quarterfinals of Brisbane—coming from behind to prevail in three sets—Raonic had every reason to believe in himself and his chances. Despite a 2-6 career deficit against the Spaniard, Raonic had been victorious in two of their last three meetings heading into his latest clash with Nadal here.

Making the encounter even more intriguing was this: Raonic is the No. 3 seed here and he wants to demonstrate that he can move higher and threaten the status of world No. 1 Andy Murray and No. 2 Novak Djokovic. The pressure was squarely on his shoulders when he confronted Nadal tonight, in stark contrast to the way it has been through much of the rivalry. Raonic has long been an individual who has seemed somewhat fragile in the way he has carried himself on the court. He often seems almost too aware of the score and the situation. That is not to say that he is not a formidable competitor, but the fact remains that he often reveals high tension when big matches are excruciatingly  close. He has improved markedly in that regard, but his issues have not yet been fully resolved.

As for Nadal, his injuries over the last couple of years to his wrist especially have done damage to his psyche as well. He built his gigantic reputation largely around a mental toughness that no one else could match. His capacity to deal with adversity and move past his demons was always second to none, but since his triumphant journey at the French Open in 2014 he has been found wanting frequently when it has counted. His career five set record is 18-8 but in 2015 and 2016 he suffered no less than three defeats in five set skirmishes at ” Big Four” tournaments, starting with a deeply wounding defeat against Fabio Fognini at the 2015 U.S. Open, continuing with a debilitating loss here last year to Fernando Verdasco and concluding with a hard setback at the 2016 U.S. Open to Lucas Pouille, when the Spaniard served with a 4-3, 30-0 lead in the final set and also reached 6-6 in the tie-break, standing two points away from victory.

In this tournament, Nadal made amends for that series of five set losses. He rallied from two sets to one down to oust Alexander Zverev in the third round. To be sure, he was fortunate that Zverev started cramping at 2-2 in the fifth set, but to the Spaniard that was inconsequential. He sorely needed a win under those circumstances, and he got just that. He followed with a four set victory over Gael Monfils. Raonic, meanwhile, was pushed to four sets by Gilles Simon in the third round and dropped another set to No. 13 seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the fourth round. He has been battling the flu. So how he would approach this appointment psychologically was an open question.

Raonic wasn’t just the higher-seeded player, No.3 to No.9, but he had actually won two of the pair’s last three meetings – including just a few weeks ago at the lead-up tournament in Brisbane.

But Nadal was on his game right from the start, breaking in the seventh game of the match en route to taking the first set and then hanging very tough in the second set, fighting off a total of six set points – three serving 4-5, three more in the tie-break – but eventually going up two sets to none.

The two continued to hold tightly to their serves in the third set but Nadal pounced one last time right at the very end, breaking at love to close out an electric 6-4 7-6(7) 6-4 quarterfinal triumph.

“I was just fighting,” Nadal said afterwards. “I was always believing and just trying to win the next point. That’s the way I’ve done it my whole career. Today I had a very difficult opponent. He beat me two weeks ago in Brisbane. So I decided to go a little more into the court tonight. And he has one of the top serves on the tour, so I needed to be very concentrated and focused on my serve.”

Indeed he was – he held all 16 of his service games and fought off all four break points he faced.

Now, the two 30-something women will meet again in the semifinals of the Australian Open, a tournament that’s starting to have a distinct throwback feel.

Serena Williams, 35, reached her 10th consecutive Grand Slam semifinal with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Johanna Konta on Wednesday, while Lucic-Baroni, 34, upset fifth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, to advance to her first major semifinal in nearly 18 years.

“Thirties is the new 10,” Williams said. “No matter what happens, someone 34 or older will be in the final.”

With 36-year-old Venus Williams also reaching the semifinals, it’s the first time in the Open era that two players aged 35 or older have reached the final four of a Grand Slam. Venus plays another American, CoCo Vandeweghe, in her semifinal on Thursday.

On the men’s side, 35-year-old Roger Federer and 31-year-old Stan Wawrinka have also booked spots in the semis. Thirty-year-old Rafael Nadal will attempt to join them when he plays Milos Raonic later Wednesday.

Both agreed there will be no secrets in the all-Swiss showdown for a place in Sunday’s final.

“I think him and Rafa (Nadal) best know my game. I’ve played him so much. Stan and I practiced so much together,” Federer said. “With Rafa, I only practiced once in my life, whereas with Stan, I can’t even keep count anymore.”

The first of the men’s semifinals will be played in the night session Thursday, following the women’s semifinals which will feature three 30-somthings, and three Americans. Venus Williams, 36, will play CoCo Vandeweghe before Serena Williams, 35, takes on 34-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.

Federer holds an imposing 18-3 lead in head-to-head encounters with Wawrinka. And, significantly, he has never lost to his compatriot on hardcourts.

While the pair have shared Davis Cup success and Olympic gold, that friendship must be temporarily put aside in the pursuit of the chance for another Australian title.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 25: Serena Williams of the Unites States celebrates winning her quarterfinal match against Johanna Konta of Great Britain on day 10 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 25, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)

The 36-year-old Venus Williams set up a semifinal against fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe with a quarterfinal win the previous day. The Williams sisters were seeded No. 1 and No. 2 when they met in the 2003 Australian Open final. Serena Williams won the title, the first of her six in Australia. Venus Williams hasn’t returned to a final at Melbourne Park.