Stefanos Tsitsipas

[Lleyton]

[Rroggerr]

#1) Sztokholm 2018



R1 wolna runda
R2 John Millman (AUS) 64 36 63
QF Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 63 76(4)
SF [2] Fabio Fognini (ITA) 63 62
W [Q] Ernests Gulbis (LAT) 64 64

[DUN I LOVE]

Liczę na kontynuację w Bazylei.

[grzes430]

[Lleyton]

From Four To 40: Tsitsipas Keeps Rolling In Basel

Spoiler:

Stockholm champion to next meet Gojowczyk

Last year, Stefanos Tsitsipas won only four tour-level matches. On Wednesday, he earned his 40th match win of 2018. Greece's #NextGenATP star ousted Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 7-6(3) at the Swiss Indoors Basel to set up a second-round meeting with German Peter Gojowczyk.

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The fourth-seeded Tsitsipas, who has qualified for the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held 6-10 November in Milan, broke three times in the opener. But Chardy sharpened his game in the second, saving all three break points before the Greek pulled away in the tie-break. Tsitsipas is fresh off his historic weekend at the Intrum Stockholm Open, where he became the first Greek to win an ATP World Tour title. His Basel second-round match will be his first meeting against Gojowczyk.

Latvia’s Ernests Gulbis beat Jack Sock for the second time in six days, following on from last week’s Stockholm quarter-final victory, with a 7-5, 6-4 win in the Basel first round. Gulbis lost six of his first-service points against the fifth-seeded American in the one-hour and 41-minute encounter. Elsewhere, eighth-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut knocked out Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-4, 6-3 in 89 minutes.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ts ... -wednesday

[Barty]

In other action, #NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas’ breakout season just keeps getting better. The 20-year-old, who last week became the first Greek to lift an ATP World Tour Trophy, advanced to his 10th tour-level quarter-final of the year on Thursday thanks to a 6-3, 6-1 victory against German Peter Gojowczyk in Basel.

The World No. 16, who was 95th in the ATP Rankings at this point last year, now has 41 match wins this season. Tsitsipas began 2018 with just four tour-level match wins to his name, with each of those four coming last October. He struck 10 aces and saved the two break points he faced to oust Gojowczyk in just 61 minutes.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/zv ... 8-thursday

[arti]

[Lleyton]

[grzes430]

A Year Has Made All The Difference For Tsitsipas

Spoiler:

The Greek will be the top seed in Milan
One year ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas was the alternate at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals. The Greek had just cracked the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time after reaching his maiden ATP World Tour semi-final in Antwerp, but he finished in 10th place in the ATP Race To Milan.

While Tsitsipas played an exhibition at the Fiera Milano against Alexander Zverev, that was the extent of his on-court action. Then 19, Tsitsipas was on the outside looking in. And that only pushed the Greek forward.

“All the Next Gen ATP players are giving me motivation to do better,” Tsitsipas said after his first match of the 2018 season. “I see them, the way they do things and I want to do the same things they do. I want to stay high in the ATP Rankings and follow their footsteps. It’s tough, what they are doing [and] they are the stars of tomorrow.”

The thing is, Tsitsipas said ‘they’ when he probably should have said ‘we’. Tsitsipas began 2018 at No. 91 in the ATP Rankings, the third-youngest player in the Top 100, which was impressive in itself. And while he fell short of Milan a year ago, the Cyprus resident didn’t shy from setting loft goals for this year.


“I’d like to make the fourth round of a Grand Slam, reach the Top 50 in the ATP Rankings and to qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in November,” Tsitsipas said. “These are the main goals. We’ll see how the year goes. If it goes better then I’ll set new ones, but I’d like to start with that.”

Little did he know just how well he would play. Of all the players who competed in Milan in the tournament’s first two editions, Tsitsipas is the highest-ranked at No. 16. How did the Greek soar so many spots, one might ask?

Tsitsipas set the tone with a quarter-final to begin his season in Doha, and he never looked back. In Barcelona, Tsitsipas became the youngest finalist at the tournament in 13 years, also becoming the first Greek man to reach an ATP World Tour title match since 1973.

Then the #NextGenATP star made an even bigger breakthrough at the Rogers Cup in Toronto, becoming the youngest competitor to defeat four Top 10 players in the ATP Rankings — Dominic Thiem, Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Kevin Anderson — at the same tournament to reach his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final.

“For sure it gave me some confidence, knowing that I can play that well against top players,” Tsitsipas said. “It's very important to have these victories behind your back. It helps you to understand how much your game has developed since last time. These victories are always going to remain special.”


And perhaps more importantly, Tsitsipas gained the respect of his peers. Rafael Nadal, who also defeated the Greek in the Barcelona final, had high praise after beating him again in Toronto.

“He has everything. He has a very complete game. Big serve. Great shots from the baseline. He's brave. He's young. He has everything,” Nadal said. “If he's able to keep improving, and the normal thing is he will do it, he will be fighting for the most important titles of the world of tennis immediately.”

You might call him Rafael Nostradamus, because Tsitsipas became the first Greek to win an ATP World Tour title at the Intrum Stockholm Open. Now, the 20-year-old can punctuate his season with another impressive performance at the Next Gen ATP Finals.


“Milan is a great event,” Tsitsipas said after triumphing in Stockholm. “We can face each other in a single tournament. This competition is very, very good for our confidence because we are the future of the game. We can face each other from a very young age, and that's very good. We can develop together and experience things together.”

Tsitsipas has come a long way since this time last year, when he was on the outside looking in. Now, all eyes are on him. Did Tsitsipas expect that?

“Not really,” Tsitsipas admitted. “[But] hard work and talent and dedication equals good results and achieving great things.”

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ts ... ew-feature

[Del Fed]

Stefanos Tsitsipas

The Greek is 11th on the ATP World Tour in second-serve winning percentage, claiming 54.3 per cent of those points. Tsitsipas has plenty of match experience in 2018 as well, leading the ATP World Tour with 68 tour-level matches played.

ATP Ranking To Begin 2018 --> Highest ATP Ranking In 2018: 91--> 15

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ne ... he-numbers

[arti]

[Lleyton]

Tsitsipas Snags Opening Win In Milan

Spoiler:

Top seed wins opening match to move to 1-0 in Group A

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the top seed at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals, and he showed why in the first match of the tournament on Tuesday. The Greek defeated Spaniard Jaume Munar 4-3(5), 4-3(3), 3-4(4), 4-2 to move to 1-0 in Group A.

"It was very stressful from the beginning of the match. Every point counts. You can get broken any moment. So there was a lot of stress, many tie-breaks," Tsitsipas said. "Great performance. Going to try to work on my serve in my next match and... grab my opportunity a little earlier because I didn't do so today."

Tsitsipas entered the match with plenty of momentum, recently lifting his first ATP World Tour trophy at the Intrum Stockholm Open. And he maintained it against Munar, increasing his level on the pressure points to move to 6-2 at tour-level this season against fellow #NextGenATP players.

It didn’t take long for the 21-and-under event’s innovations to come into play at the Fiera Milano. Tsitsipas spoke to his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, via their headsets after the first set.

“I told him to relax, because he was nervous,” Apostolos told commentators. “Obviously it’s the first match and the first set in the conditions and that’s it. And just to stay with high percentage on the first serve.

“I told him [before the match] it was very important to play every point and to be there all the time because everything is so fast.”

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Tsitsipas took note of that advice, battling through tough situations in the one-hour, 52-minute match. The World No. 15 was unable to convert two set points on Munar’s serve in the sixth game of the second set, with the Spaniard saving the second of those opportunities with an immaculate backhand drop volley. But Tsitsipas maintained his focus in the tie-break to take a two-set lead.

Munar, who was battling in pursuit of his first victory against an opponent inside the Top 20 of the ATP Rankings, never gave up. The Spaniard forced a third tie-break and used a key backhand down the line passing shot for a winner to gain the advantage, pushing the match to a fourth set.

But Tsitsipas’ pressure was ultimately too much. Munar saved three match points on his serve at 2-3 in the fourth set, but the 21-year-old missed an overhead wide on deciding point, giving the Greek the victory. The innovative format of playing sets in which the first to four games is the winner, with a tie-break at 3-3, had Tsitsipas dialed into every point from the start.

"I was just more prepared, more ready for what's going to happen. As I said, every point counts. So I was more into the match. I was more focused, more in the moment. And tie-breaks, obviously, are stressful. Anything can happen there," Tsitsipas said "I believe if you start playing more and more with these rules, then it's just a matter of time to get used to it."

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ts ... 18-tuesday

[Damian]

[Lleyton]

Greece Lightning: Half of the players in Milan have career-high ATP Rankings this week, including Tsitsipas. The 20-year-old is the first Greek to be ranked in the Top 20 (career-best No. 15), win an ATP World Tour title (Stockholm), play in an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final (Toronto) and reach the Round of 16 at a Grand Slam (Wimbledon). Tsitsipas earned four straight Top 10 wins en route to the Toronto final.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/mi ... ing-report

[Żilu]

Finały Next Gen ATP: ruszył turniej młodych. Stefanos Tsitsipas wygrał mecz otwarcia

Spoiler:

Stefanos Tsitsipas wygrał mecz otwarcia rozgrywanych na korcie twardym w hali w Mediolanie Finałów Next Gen ATP. Grek w czterech setach pokonał Jaume Munara.

Turniej młodych, innowacji i szansy dla Huberta Hurkacza. W Mediolanie ruszają Finały Next Gen ATP
Tegoroczna edycja Finałów Next Gen ATP jest drugą w historii. W turnieju bierze udział siedmiu czołowych tenisistów młodego pokolenia, wyłonionych na bazie specjalnego rankingu ATP Race to Milan, oraz jeden, który otrzymał dziką kartę. Mecze rozgrywane są w nietypowym formacie. Tenisiści grają do trzech wygranych setów, ale zwycięzcą partii zostaje ten, kto jako pierwszy zdobędzie cztery gemy (tie break następuje przy stanie 3:3).
Turniej wystartował we wtorek meczem Stefanosa Tsitsipasa z Jaume Munarem. Grek to jeden z faworytów imprezy i wobec nieobecności Alexandra Zvereva został najwyżej rozstawiony. Hiszpan natomiast w rankingu tenisistów do 21. roku życia zajął ósme miejsce i nie zagrałby w Mediolanie, gdyby nie wycofanie się Zvereva.

Mecz od początku był bardzo wyrównany. Munar, choć często był spychany do defensywy, starał się ambitnie walczyć z wyżej notowanym rywalem. Mimo to po dwóch setach przegrywał 0-2. O losach premierowych partii decydowały tie breaki i w obu lepszy okazywał się Tsitsipas.

W trzecim secie znów o wszystkim rozstrzygała dodatkowa rozgrywka, w której tym razem zwyciężył Munar. W czwartym natomiast Hiszpan nie wytrzymał napięcia. Przy stanie 2:3 przegrywał 0-40 i musiał bronić meczboli. Udało mu się oddalić trzy szanse dla przeciwnika, ale przy kolejnej chciał popisać się efektownym smeczem z wyskoku, jednak posłał uderzenie w aut.

Był to pierwszy mecz Finałów Next Gen ATP 2018 i zarazem premierowy pojedynek w Grupie A, w której znajdują się jeszcze Frances Tiafoe i Hubert Hurkacz. Spotkanie Amerykanina z Polakiem zostanie rozegrane we wtorek o godz. 19:30. Do półfinału awansują dwaj najlepsi tenisiści w grupie.

Finały Next Gen ATP, Mediolan (Włochy)
kort twardy w hali, pula nagród 1,335 mln dolarów
wtorek, 6 listopada

Grupa A:

Stefanos Tsitsipas (Grecja, 1) - Jaume Munar (Hiszpania, 7) 4:3(5), 4:3(3), 3:4(4), 4:2

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/78698 ... ecz-otwarc

[arti]

Stefanos Tsitsipas is the top seed at the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals, and he showed why in the first match of the tournament on Tuesday. The Greek defeated Spaniard Jaume Munar 4-3(5), 4-3(3), 3-4(4), 4-2 to move to 1-0 in Group A.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ts ... 18-tuesday

[Damian]

Tsitsipas Leader Of The Next Gen Pack – By One Point

Spoiler:

Analysis proves you don’t have to win all the points, just the ones that count the most

Big distances. Small margins.

The Next Gen ATP Finals field of eight players has competed in 278 matches this season all over the globe, winning an impressive 53 per cent of them. It’s the best young talent our sport has to offer, and now they get a chance to go head-to-head this week in Milan, Italy.

What’s going to matter most in deciding the eventual champion? A point here and a point there - just like always.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of more than 44,000 points played this season by the #NextGenATP field of eight players identifies that they have lost 22 more points than they have won. Four of the eight have won slightly more points than they have won in 2018, while the other four have won slightly less. The eight players have averaged winning 49.49 per cent (22,110/44,242) of points this season.

You don’t need to win all the points. Just the right ones.

The yardstick to measure by in 2018 is World No. 1, Novak Djokovic, who has won 54.44 per cent (5488/10086) of points played with a 49-11 record.

The highest win percentage of points won from the #NextGenATP field is Stefanos Tsitsipas at 51.03 per cent (5488/10754). Tsitsipas also has a win over Djokovic this season, defeating the Serb 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3 in the round of 16 at the Rogers Cup in August.

Tsitsipas won his opening round match at the Next Gen ATP Finals over Jaume Munar 4-3(5), 4-3(3), 3-4(4), 4-2.

NextGen Field - 2018 Points Won/Lost & Win Percentage

Player Points Won Total Points Win %
Stefanos Tsitsipas 5488 10754 51.03%
Alex de Minaur 3629 7168 50.63%
Andrey Rublev 2984 5950 50.15%
Frances Tiafoe 3983 7955 50.07%
Taylor Fritz 3399 6817 49.86%
Jaume Munar 1664 3399 48.96%
Hubert Hurkacz 990 2043 48.46%
Liam Caruana 73 156 46.79%
Total/Average 22210 44242 49.49%
The other three players who have won more points in 2018 than they have lost are Alex de Minaur (50.63%), Andrey Rublev (50.15%) and Frances Tiafoe (50.07%).

An interesting way for players to understand how close they actually are from the top of the tree in our sport is to directly compare themselves to the World No. 1. For example, Tiafoe is ranked No. 40, and has averaged winning 50 points out of every hundred in 2018, while Djokovic has climbed back to No. 1 by averaging winning 54 points out of every hundred. So in a very real way, Tiafoe has got to find just four more points out every hundred he plays to become the top ranked player.

Tsitsipas is the only #NextGenATP player ranked in the Top 20, while all of them are ranked in the Top 100 except for Italian qualifying tournament winner, Liam Caruana, who is ranked No. 622.

NextGen Field - 2018 Matches Won / Lost

Player Matches Won Matches Lost Match Win %
Stefanos Tsitsipas 41 27 60.29%
Frances Tiafoe 27 24 52.94%
Alex de Minaur 24 22 52.17%
Taylor Fritz 22 18 55.00%
Andrey Rublev 17 21 44.74%
Jaume Munar 9 10 47.37%
Hubert Hurkacz 6 9 40.00%
Liam Caruana 0 1 0.00%
Total/Average 146 132 52.52%
The age-old tennis cliche of focusing on just one point at a time certainly hits home when you view the sport in this manner.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ts ... ember-2018

[Lleyton]

Tsitsipas Shines Against Tiafoe

Spoiler:

Greek becomes first man to qualify for semi-finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas came in as the favourite at the Next Gen ATP Finals, competing as the top seed. And the Greek showed why on Wednesday, beating third-seeded Frances Tiafoe 4-3((3), 4-3(5), 4-2 to become the first player to guarantee his spot in the Milan semi-finals.

“I never dropped my performance, I always stayed at 100 per cent almost, so very satisfied that I managed to stay calm and play every point like a match point,” Tsitsipas said. “Hopefully I can play like this in every match that I’ll be playing here at the Next Gen ATP Finals.”

One year ago, Tsitsipas was an alternate at this event. And after two impressive performances against strong Group A opponents, the 21-year-old knows he will have a chance to play for a spot in the championship match. But first, on Thursday, Tsitsipas will have an opportunity to go undefeated in round-robin play when he faces Polish No. 1 Hubert Hurkacz.

There will be plenty at stake in that duel, as undefeated champions at the Fiera Milano receive $407,000. Tsitsipas has never played Hurkacz in a professional match.

The Greek will be the favourite in that clash based off his performance against Tiafoe, this year’s Delray Beach Open champion. It was the pair’s first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, but Tsitsipas also defeated Tiafoe last year in Tokyo qualifying, winning that match in straight sets as well. The Greek won 78 per cent of his service points on Next Gen Arena, saving both break points he faced en route to a 70-minute victory.

Watch Live On Amazon Prime: United States | All Other Regions

In the first two sets, there was nearly nothing between the two players. In fact, before the tie-breaks, Tiafoe had won more points than Tsitsipas. But the recent Intrum Stockholm Open titlist got out to early leads on both occasions and did well on his serve to keep Tiafoe from sneaking back into the match.

“I believe having a good start in a tie-break, having a lead with a mini-break, maybe, helps a lot. When you can just stay more focused and calm on what you’re doing — it’s tough when you’re close in the score — so I try to focus when I get a good lead at the beginning and be aggressive. That’s the most important thing.”

After the second set, Tiafoe utlised one of the tournament’s innovations, speaking to coach Robby Ginepri via their headsets. And his fellow American tried to encourage Tiafoe to sneak forward when possible and control play.

“Keep this guy on the run,” Ginepri said. ”It’s good level, [you’ve] just got to execute in the tie-breaks a little better. Hey, keep your swag out there, don’t get down. This is a long match right now. You’ve got it. Let’s go.”

But Tsitsipas’ offensive pressure proved too much, playing aggressively off the forehand wing. And after earning the only break of the match, the top seed held out for the triumph.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ts ... nesday-atp

[arti]

[Żilu]

Serena Williams' coach expects big things from Stefanos Tsitsipas, and so should you

Spoiler:

This past September at the US Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas realized how popular he had become.

"I received a message recently from one woman who said because of me, 71 percent of the kids [in Greek] schools choose to play tennis," Tsitsipas told ESPN.com. "So I was like, 'OK, I feel pretty proud of myself.' I mean, no one played tennis before, and now it's 71 percent. Wow, so it must be pretty nuts when I get back there."

Ever since he arrived on the scene in 2016 as an 18-year-old, Tsitsipas has been blazing a trail for his country. While Eleni Daniilidou reached No 14 in the women's game in 2003, no Greek man had made the ATP Tour's top 100 until Tsitsipas cracked it in October 2017.

EDITOR'S PICKS

Tsitsipas wins Next Gen opener in Milan
Stefanos Tsitsipas won his opening match of the ATP Next Gen Finals with a comfortable victory over Jaune Munar in Milan.


Welcome to the 'Next Big Thing' club, Karen Khachanov
He's big strong and talented. Karen Khachanov beat Novak Djokovic to win the Paris Masters, a win that immediately thrust the Russian into elite, but often disappointing, company.


Djokovic to face Zverev, Cilic, Isner in London
Five-time champion Novak Djokovic will face Alexander Zverev, Marin Cilic and John Isner in the group stages at the ATP Finals after the draw was confirmed in London.

Tsitsipas began the year ranked 91, but he made major leaps, reaching the final in Barcelona and Toronto, where he fell to Rafael Nadal both times. Finally, in late October, Tsitsipas broke through, winning the Stockholm title and becoming the first Greek man to win an ATP Tour championship. Today, Tsitsipas is ranked a career high No. 15 and closing the door on the top 10. On Tuesday, he beat Jaume Munar in the opening match at the Next Gen ATP Finals.

"Hopefully many Greek players can achieve something like this," Tsitsipas told reporters in Stockholm. "I would be super happy to see them achieve something like this in the future, maybe even in the near future. Representing my country at such high-level tournaments, being the first Greek to crack the top 100 is very, very special for me."

His rise to the top has been swift -- but not surprising. Four years ago, Patrick Mouratoglou, Serena Williams' coach since 2012, first heard of Tsitsipas.

"I knew he was Greek, so I was particularly interested, so I checked on YouTube," Mouratoglou, whose father is Greek, told ESPN.com. "It was easy. I saw him at the Orange Bowl [in December 2014] and immediately was impressed. I called the agent and I said bring him to my academy for a week. I want to see him."

Tsitsipas has been at the Mouratoglou Tennis Academy ever since, with Mouratoglou working as a mentor alongside his own father and Tsitsipas' father, Apostolos. Tsitsipas' mother, Julia, was a former tennis player, and his grandfather won an Olympic gold medal in soccer for the Soviet Union in 1956.

Yes, his pedigree has him in good stead, but it was his attitude caught the eye of Mouratoglou.

"I saw a great competitor," Mouratoglou said. "I think this is the No. 1 quality in tennis. This and the physical ability. If you're a great athlete and a great competitor and you have the right mentality and are a hard worker, then you can go really long way. He is looking for the short ball, to come in and go to the net. You felt that he wanted the decision to be his, whether he would win or lose, and that's great. Afterward, when I saw him play matches, I saw he was an incredible competitor."


Stefanos Tsitsipas is quickly becoming one of the most recognizable up-and-coming stars in tennis. EPA/Soren Andersson/TT SWEDEN OUT
With his long hair and headband, Tsitsipas resembles Bjorn Borg. His big serve is backed up by superb groundstrokes, and his one-handed backhand is one of the best around. His willingness to come forward has served him superbly to this point. Although he can lose his temper at times, Tsitsipas generally has a calm presence and is a smart thinker on and off court.

"I don't see any limit for him," Mouratoglou said. "There are so many things he can do better and he is already 15 in the world. It's a good sign."

Mouratoglou has an added reason to hope Tsitsipas does well. Now 20, Tsitsipas is the leader of Team Mouratoglou, or Team M, the name given for a small group of players who are based at the academy. Each player receives specialist attention on the court, in the gym and through Mouratoglou's state-of-the-art medical setup.

American Cori Gauff, who won this year's junior French Open at the age of 14, and Chun Hsin Tseng of Taiwan, the boys No. 1, are both part of a small team behind Tsitsipas, as is Australian Alexei Popyrin, who is already inside the top 200.

"It's not bad to be the leader of something," Tsitsipas said. "I think kids at the academy will be motivated to see that and they'll want to join in."

But the overall objective is to win Grand Slams. "Our responsibility with any player is to bring them to their maximum," Mouratoglou said. "If they don't win a Grand Slam, for me, we will not have done the job completely properly; it's not satisfying. You can't always succeed, but it's not satisfying."

Tsitsipas believes he is destined for the top. "Things are very bright," he said. "There is a future for sure, and this is just the beginning, in my opinion. We can achieve much more than this.

http://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/2 ... tsipas-you