Stefanos Tsitsipas

[Damian]

Tsitsipas Presses Claims For London; Thiem Reaches Shanghai Quarter-finals

Spoiler:

Greek sets sights on Djokovic win

Stefanos Tsitsipas edged closer to becoming the sixth player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday with a battling win at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The sixth-seeded Greek booked his place in the quarter-finals by beating Huber Hurkacz of Poland 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(5) in two hours and 13 minutes. It was their fourth FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting of the year.

Tsitsipas adds 90 points to his 2019 ATP Race To London tally (3,550) and will now challenge World No. 1 and four-time champion Novak Djokovic on Friday afternoon. Djokovic beat Tsitsipas in May in the Mutua Madrid Open final.

Hurkacz was unable to convert two set points at 5-4, with Tsitsipas serving at 15/40 and paid the price. However, Hurkacz took a 3-0 lead in the second set only to see Tsitsipas start strongly in the deciding set tie-break by winning four of the first five points.

Tsitsipas is now 44-21 on the season, which includes two ATP Tour titles at the Open 13 Provence in Marseille (d. Kukushkin) and at the Millennium Estoril Open (d. Cuevas).

You May Also Like: Djokovic Continues Quest, Raises His Game In Shanghai
Later in the day, fourth seed Dominic Thiem extended his winning streak to seven matches by overcoming Georgian No. 15 seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 6-4 in 78 minutes for a quarter-final against Nitto ATP Finals contender Matteo Berrettini on Friday.

Thiem recorded his 40th match win of the year (for the fourth straight season) against Basilashvili. Rafael Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer, Daniil Medvedev and Thiem have booked their places at the season-ending event, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November.

The Austrian secured the 15th trophy of his career on Sunday at the China Open in Beijing (d. Tsitsipas). He has also lifted silverware at the BNP Paribas Open (d. Federer), an ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell (d. Medvedev) and the Generali Open in Kitzbuhel (d. Ramos-Vinolas).

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/tsitsip ... 9-thursday

[Kamileki]

[Damian]

Tsitsipas Qualifies For First Time To Nitto ATP Finals

Spoiler:

2018 Next Gen ATP Finals champion to make debut at The O2
Stefanos Tsitsipas has successfully transitioned from lifting the Next Gen ATP Finals trophy in November 2018 to qualifying for the first time to the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. The Greek star, who will compete among the world’s best eight singles players at The O2 in London, stamped his ticket for the 10-17 November event as a result of early play on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters.

The 20-year-old Tsitsipas, who beat Alex de Minaur in the title match of the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan 11 months ago, has compiled a 44-21 match record and won two ATP Tour titles in a career-best 2019 season. He joins Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Daniil Medvedev and Dominic Thiem at the elite season finale next month.

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Tsitsipas became the first Greek player to break into the Top 5 of the ATP Rankings (at No. 5) on 5 August 2019, during a season which has included titles at the Open 13 Provence (d. Kukushkin) and at the Millennium Estoril Open (d. Cuevas). Additionally, he upset World No. 2 Nadal to reach his second ATP Masters 1000 final at the Mutua Madrid Open (l. to Djokovic) and beat Federer at the Australian Open, en route to becoming the youngest Grand Slam championship semi-finalist since 20-year-old Djokovic at the 2007 US Open. He finished as runner-up to Federer at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and, last week, reached the China Open final in Beijing (l. to Thiem).

Two singles spots are now left up for grabs at the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals. Roberto Bautista Agut and 2018 champion Alexander Zverev are currently in seventh and eighth places respectively in the 2019 ATP Race To London, but Matteo Berrettini, David Goffin, Fabio Fognini, Kei Nishikori and Gael Monfils are also among the contenders with one month to go until the start of the prestigious event.

The ATP’s crown jewel event is to be held at The O2 in London through to 2020, where it has been staged to wide acclaim since 2009. The event has successfully established itself as one of the major annual sporting events worldwide, broadcast in more than 180 territories with global viewership figures reaching an average of 95 million each year.

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[Damian]

Tsitsipas' Two Reasons To Celebrate

Spoiler:

Greek records biggest win of career

Stefanos Tsitsipas had two reasons to celebrate on Friday at the Rolex Shanghai Masters, when he beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the second time and also qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in November.

The sixth-seeded Greek recovered from a slow start to record the biggest match win of his career against Djokovic 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 for a place in the semi-finals.

Tsitsipas had walked onto court already knowing he’d become the sixth player to clinch a spot at The O2 in London from 10-17 November, after Daniil Medvedev beat fellow contender Fabio Fognini.

With the loss, Djokovic trails Rafael Nadal (9,225) by 1,280 points in the 2019 ATP Race To London and the battle for year-end No. 1.

More to follow…

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/djokovi ... 019-friday

[Damian]

Tsitsipas After Stunning Djokovic: 'It's The Best Comeback I've Ever Had'

Spoiler:

Greek guaranteed to compete at The O2 in London
Reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas booked his first berth into the Nitto ATP Finals on Friday, and he did so by overcoming one of tennis’ toughest challenges: defeating World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

But it wasn’t just that he beat the Serbian at the Rolex Shanghai Masters to reach the semi-finals. It was how he did it, coming from a set down against a player who had won 15 consecutive sets.

“It's the best comeback that I have ever had, probably,” Tsitsipas said. “I would say also [the] Federer comeback in the Australian Open wasn't easy. I lost the first set against one of the best tennis players in the world and managed to win three consecutive sets after that. Same today, but with less sets, two sets, which was quite difficult for me to pull out. It was a very difficult victory mentally, too. I wasn't really thinking that long term that I have to win two sets. It just went step by step. It happened."

You May Also Like: Tsitsipas Stuns Djokovic For Two Reasons To Celebrate
There have been 26 players, including Tsitsipas, who have defeated all members of the ‘Big Three’ — Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The Greek entered the match as the youngest player to have accomplished the feat. But now, he is also one of just four players who have faced Djokovic at least three times to own a winning record against the 76-time tour-level champion, joining Fernando Gonzalez (2-1), Ivo Karlovic (2-1) and Andy Roddick (5-4).

“I always dreamt of beating those players, and I see each match when I go out on the court as an opportunity to bring the best out of me. It's a very big boost,” Tsitsipas said. “I honestly feel like they are more threatened than I am, and I think also that kind of relaxed me more out on the court. So I know I just have to play the level, and the difference of the level of the rest of the opponents that I'm playing and competing against isn't that big.

“I know I just have to hang in there and be able to, I think, be more aggressive. Because once you get aggressive and they see that you're really going for it, I might even say they get scared. So that's a good way, approach, to take it.”

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Entering last week’s China Open, Tsitsipas had not earned a Top 10 win since the Mutua Madrid Open in May. Now the Greek has two in as many weeks.

But it did not come easily, with Tsitsipas admitting that he was in awe of some of Djokovic’s mastery during the match.

“He hit some insane shots completely, like unbelievable, which I had no chance of getting back,” Tsitsipas said. “He hit a couple of lines, some good defence, and I was just saying to myself, ‘How is that even possible? It's just incredible to be this close from the lines.’ That's probably the only thing that I was talking to myself about. I think laughing sometimes relaxes me.”


Tsitsipas believes that something that has helped him against the ‘Big Three’ has been reps. Although he is only 21, the three-time ATP Tour champion already has experience competing against the best in the game.

“[I’ve had] plenty of practice sessions with Novak in the past in the place we both reside, in Monte-Carlo. We played plenty of times with each other, and [it has helped] getting that feeling of how he constructs his points, the patterns that he uses,” Tsitsipas said. “Same with Roger, same with Rafa. Rafa, I didn't have the opportunity to practice this much with. So I think that also helps a lot going out on the court, knowing that I have played, hit with him a couple of times and lack of surprise… it's just better in your head.”

Now Tsitsipas will have to overcome another hurdle in World No. 4 Daniil Medvedev, who takes a 4-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head series lead into their semi-final. The Russian is 27-3 since returning to hard courts in July, and he is trying to reach his sixth consecutive final.

“I would say that I'm more relaxed nowadays than ever. I'm just going to have to play well,” Tsitsipas said. “He plays a very different tennis from most of the players that I have been playing against this year. He's a very mental player, I would say. So this win over Novak is a boost. It does help. It makes me feel good about my tennis, about my game. Tomorrow is going to be a new challenge for me.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/tsitsip ... y-reaction

[Kamileki]

[Kamileki]

Szanghaj19: 4. półfinał M-1000.

[6] Stefanos Tsitsipas d. [1] Novak Djoković 3-6 7-5 6-3

[Kamileki]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_j2jEJ-pwQ

[Lucas]

[Damian]

Stefanos Tsitsipas had good reason to smile after defeating Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals of Shanghai, but was beaming once he learned he had qualified for his debut appearance in the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/federer ... october-13

[arti]

Why A First-Round Loss Was 'The Best Thing That Ever Happened' To Tsitsipas

Spoiler:

Most ATP Tour players wouldn’t look back fondly on a first-round exit, but Stefanos Tsitsipas believes his opening-round defeat at this year’s US Open was a blessing in disguise.
”It was probably the best thing that ever happened to me,” Tsitsipas said ahead of the Swiss Indoors Basel, where he is seeded third. “I stayed in New York for six or seven days after and it gave me time to discover new things. It was important for me to enjoy and realise what I needed in my life.
”It was my decision to live life how I wanted to, not how others wanted me to. There was a time last summer when I doubted myself, [thought] that I wasn’t interesting as a person. I wanted to be someone else, but now I understand that it’s awesome to be myself.”
Since New York, the #NextGenATP Greek has succeeded with his unique brand of tennis. He finished runner-up in Beijing (l. to Thiem) and scored a win over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic en route to a semi-final showing at the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The pair of results helped clinch his maiden appearance at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, held from 10-17 November at The O2 in London.
Tsitsipas also credited his recent form with a different approach to his tennis. In keeping with the need to be himself, he decided to accept his limitations and play to his strengths. A player with as much variety as Tsitsipas can sometimes have difficulty selecting what shot to hit, so the Greek opted to keep things simple on the practice court and in matches.
"I practise more efficiently. I focus on things that may work not in the long term, but [will] in the short term. I know where I should push more,” Tsitsipas said. “Before, I was always seeking more and didn’t really understand what my orientations were. That would make me crazy, even during matches, and I’d have outbursts.
"I took things way too seriously and thought that was how I got the titles, whatever I was pushing towards. I was pushing way too much and sometimes I have to enjoy it. I can’t win every single week."
But Tsitsipas isn’t just making changes on the court. Once an avid social media user, he let his manager handle his personal accounts and deleted all of his social media apps (except for Gidget and WhatsApp). He believes the decision sparked more authentic interactions in his life and allowed him to relax away from the court.
"I’m not checking Instagram on my phone for 30 or 40 minutes like I used to. It was really stressful and drove me crazy a little bit,” Tsitsipas said. “I feel a difference in my behavior and how I feel. I can connect with people better. Being away from social media and spending more quality time is one of the best things that’s happened to me.”
After a challenging four-month stretch this season that saw Tsitsipas endure six opening-round exits, he has emerged as a stronger player. Although the Greek would love to clinch his first ATP 500 title in Basel, the end result won’t deter his belief that he’s moving in the right direction.
"I’m currently in the best state of my life,” Tsitsipas said. “It doesn’t have to do with results or playing good tennis or bad tennis. I’ve been feeling very happy and very well. I’ve been enjoying life more in general and that reflects in my game. It makes me happy and makes me want to live better.”

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/tsitsip ... 19-preview

[Art]

[Rroggerr]

[Art]

Tsitsipas Staves Off Upset Bid In Basel

Spoiler:

Stefanos Tsitsipas avoided an upset bid on Thursday at the Swiss Indoors Basel, rallying past Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP 500 tournament. It is the Greek’s 13th quarter-final of the season, equalling Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut for the ATP Tour-lead.

Berankis has not made an ATP Tour quarter-final since Dubai, but the World No. 70 had momentum on his side against Tsitsipas, leading 7-6(4), 1-0 and earning a 0/30 advantage on Tsitsipas’ serve. But the third seed maintained his composure, and dominated his service games the rest of the match to triumph after two hours and one minute.

"I think in the first set I kind of lost the momentum and the tempo in the tie-break. I didn’t feel very comfortable. Perhaps my return was something that kept me doubting and not really playing with psychological strength," Tsitsipas said. "I did manage to stay calm and I think the second set was perfect. I did manage to break him twice. This gave me extra confidence on pursuing something similar in the next couple of games. I got the early break and managed to hold my serve in the entire rest of the set."

After reaching the Citi Open semi-finals in August, Tsitsipas lost five of six matches and appeared to be struggling for form. But the reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion, who has booked his spot at the Nitto ATP Finals 10-17 November for the first time, has bounced back well over the past month. The 21-year-old made the China Open final and the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-finals, and that confidence showed in his victory against Berankis.


After some uncharacteristic errors from Tsitsipas allowed the Lithuanian to earn the first set, the Greek buckled down and raised his level. Although Berankis played inspired tennis and competed well with the World No. 7, Tsitsipas’ variety of weapons proved too much to overcome in the big moments. On his first match point, Tsitsipas fired a cross-court forehand that Berankis could not handle, celebrating with a fist pump.

"I’ve been experimenting the past couple of days with a few things in my game, so I knew there might be some downs during the match. I did stay calm, because I knew I was playing my game, but I was trying a few things that I haven’t tried in the past," Tsitsipas said. "That paid off at the end. I was risking a bit more, I was going for more. I was making more mistakes than usual, but I think going for a bit more and trying to show him that, 'I’m here, I’m going to come to the net, I’m going to be more aggressive', it was crucial."

Tsitsipas only faced one break point in the match, and he won 75 per cent of his second-serve points, preventing Berankis from going on the offensive unless he did so from tough positions. The Greek will next face ATP Race To London contender Fabio Fognini or Serbian Filip Krajinovic.

Berankis was trying to claim his third Top 10 win (2-10), with his two previous triumphs coming against Milos Raonic, including a first-round upset in Basel three years ago. If Berankis defeated Tsitsipas, it would have been the fourth straight year in which a qualifier had made the quarter-finals or better in Basel.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/tsitsip ... 9-thursday

[Razing]

[Kamileki]

[arti]

He will now challenge seventh seed and first-time Nitto ATP Finals qualifier Stefanos Tsitsipas, who won 35 of 38 first-service points in a 7-6(3), 6-3 win over American Taylor Fritz in 74 minutes. Tsitsipas is now 49-23 in a career-best season, which includes two ATP Tour titles at the Open 13 Provence (d. Kukushkin) and at the Millennium Estoril Open (d. Cuevas).

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/monfils ... -wednesday

[Kamileki]

[Damian]

Djokovic Sets Tsitsipas Rematch In Paris

Spoiler:

Tsitsipas, the World No. 7, beat #NextGenATP Aussie Alex de Minaur 6-3, 6-4 to make his fourth ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final of the season and also earn his 50th win of 2019, a career-best mark (46 last year). Tsitsipas also celebrated the 100th tour-level win of his career.
The 20-year-old broke De Minaur three times, including during the second game of the opening set and the ninth game of the second set, to improve to 3-0 in his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with De Minaur. Tsitsipas also beat the Aussie during the 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals title match.
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De Minaur, No. 18 in the ATP Rankings, will return to the award-winning 21-and-under tournament next week as the top seed and will try to triumph in Milan for the first time.
Tsitsipas, who also made Masters 1000 quarter-finals in Rome, Madrid and Shanghai, will make his debut at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, to be held 10-17 November at The O2 in London. In Paris, the Greek star will next meet four-time champion Novak Djokovic or Briton Kyle Edmund for a place in the semi-finals. Tsitsipas beat Djokovic earlier this month to reach the Rolex Shanghai Masters semi-finals.

https://www.atptour.com/en/news/djokovi ... 9-thursday

[Damian]

Tsitsipas Completes Rapid Climb To 100 Wins

Spoiler:

#NextGenATP champion achieves milestone moment on Thursday in Paris
Stefanos Tsitsipas is combining his rapid rise up the ATP Rankings with an equally speedy portfolio of wins. The Greek reached 100 tour-level wins with his third-round victory on Thursday against Aussie Alex de Minaur at the Rolex Paris Masters.
The 21-year-old hit his latest milestone after 160 matches (100-60) on Tour, which is a faster rate than everyone in the Top 10 besides Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Fastest To 100 Among The Current Top 10
Player W-L Record After 100 Wins
Rafael Nadal 100-37
Novak Djokovic 100-43
Stefanos Tsitsipas 100-60
Alexander Zverev 100-61
Daniil Medvedev 100-67
Dominic Thiem 100-68
Roger Federer 100-69
Roberto Bautista Agut 100-78
Karen Khachanov 100-80
Matteo Berrettini N/A (61 tour-level wins)
Tsitsipas picked up his first tour-level win two years ago at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Shanghai and immediately built on it with his maiden ATP Tour semi-final in Antwerp. Forty-six more wins followed in 2018, including his first ATP Tour title in Stockholm (d. Gulbis), first Masters 1000 final in Toronto (l. to Nadal) and the Next Gen ATP Finals title in Milan (d. De Minaur).
The Greek surpassed those numbers this year with his 50th tour-level win on Thursday. He joined Daniil Medvedev and Roger Federer as the only players to reach that mark this season. Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic will play for their 50th win later Thursday.
You May Also Like: Djokovic Sets Tsitsipas Rematch In Paris
Tsitsipas captured titles in Marseille (d. Kukushkin) and Estoril (Cuevas), in addition to reaching another Masters 1000 final in Madrid (l. to Djokovic). He also defeated Federer en route to his maiden Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open, after which he declared that “my idol today became my rival.”
His outstanding results helped him become the first Greek player to crack the Top 5 of the ATP Rankings this August. The Greek’s victory over Djokovic in Shanghai, his first against a World No. 1, secured his debut appearance at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals, to be held at The O2 in London from 10-17 November.
Tsitsipas will look to add more wins to his tally in Paris when he faces top seed Djokovic or Kyle Edmund in the quarter-finals.

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