Stefanos Tsitsipas

[Lleyton]

Tsitsipas Tops Group A

Spoiler:

Greek tops Group A with unbeaten 3-0 record

The 2018 Next Gen ATP Finals is down to four players.

On Thursday evening, top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas continued his strong play, defeating Polish No. 1 Hubert Hurkacz 4-1, 4-3(3), 4-1 in 62 minutes. That victory set the semi-final match-ups at the Fiera Milano: Tsitsipas will face 2017 Andrey Rublev, and Group B winner Alex de Minaur will clash against Spaniard Jaume Munar.

Tsitsipas has shown why he is the top seed here in Milan, winning all three of his round-robin matches to top Group A. The Greek has lost just one set all week, coming in his first match of the week against Munar.

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Hurkacz appeared ready to turn the match around in the second set when he earned a mini-break to take a 2/0 lead in the tie-break. But Tsitsipas quickly reeled off seven consecutive points to regain control of the match.

At that point, Hurkacz’s chances of advancing to the last four appeared bleak, needing to triumph in five sets. And Tsitsipas wasted no time, eliminating the Pole by saving all three break points he faced in the final set.

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

[Damian]

[Damian]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i7X1N7g4p8&t=14s[/youtube]

[arti]

Stefanos Tsitsipas was tested sternly on Friday evening at the Next Gen ATP Finals, but the top seed moved on nonetheless, as the World No. 15 beat 2017 runner-up Andrey Rublev 4-3(3), 3-4(5), 4-0, 2-4, 4-3(2) to reach the championship match.

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

[Lleyton]

Tsitsipas Slides Into Championship Match

Spoiler:

Greek to meet De Minaur in Saturday's final

Stefanos Tsitsipas was tested sternly on Friday evening at the Next Gen ATP Finals, but the top seed moved on nonetheless, as the World No. 15 beat 2017 runner-up Andrey Rublev 4-3(3), 3-4(5), 4-0, 2-4, 4-3(2) to reach the championship match.

"You feel great after winning such matches, because there has been a lot of effort," said Tsitsipas. "We [spent] hours on the court fighting, wanting that win. The one that gets it at the end, I think, is the most happy person on earth. I'm very satisfied."

It was no surprise that the pair went the distance. This was their first FedEx ATP Head meeting, but Rublev beat Tsitsipas in a third-set tie-break at an ATP Challenger Tour event in Quimper, France. At that point, the Greek was No. 196 in the ATP Rankings.

But a lot has changed since then. Last year, Tsitsipas reached Milan as an alternate. This season, Tsitsipas has climbed to a career-best World No. 15 and he is the top seed at the Next Gen ATP Finals, having recently become the first Greek to lift an ATP World Tour trophy at the Intrum Stockholm Open.

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In the final, Tsitsipas will face the winner of Group B, Alex de Minaur, who also needed five sets to get through his semi-final, in which the Aussie dismissed Spaniard Jaume Munar. It will be their second FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting in a month, as Tsitsipas took out De Minaur at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2018 in three sets.

"[Alex] is very quick. That's his biggest weapon, his speed on the court. But he has some weaknesses as well. Not all players are perfect," said Tsitsipas. "I'm going to have to play differently than today. And press but, not over-press because that's what he's waiting for. Be wise, be patient on the court and make him move, make him run. Come to the net, play good tennis, play clever tennis, play all around tennis."

Since both Tsitsipas and De Minaur were undefeated in group play at the Fiera Milano, the winner on Saturday will take home $407,000 for completing the tournament without a loss. Rublev, the only player in the 2018 field who competed at the inaugural event, will have to settle for a chance at capturing third place, as he will face Munar for that honour on Sunday.

"I have one more match to play tomorrow. I know it is going to be tough, so I'm going to have to be prepared for that," said Tsitsipas. "I'm going to have to be 100 per cent. And I'm going to just mentally be there and just give my last effort, give my last everything in that match. I think it would be a fantastic year-end if things go well tomorrow."

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

[arti]

[arti]

[arti]

Tsitsipas Reigns Supreme In Milan

Spoiler:

One year ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas was an alternate at the Fiera Milano. The Greek was close, but yet so far from competing at the premier 21-and-under event in the world.
But this time around, Tsitsipas was not only the top seed in Milan, but he captured the title, winning the Next Gen ATP Finals with a 2-4, 4-1, 4-3(3), 4-3(3) victory against second seed Alex de Minaur on Saturday.
"It feels great. I've been playing some great tennis this week here in Milan," Tsitsipas said. "It was a fantastic match. I stayed calm although I had a chance twice to win the match, but remained calm. I was aiming to win that match. I was mentally very strong and that was proven in the tie-break in the last set."
The triumph caps a tremendous breakthrough season for the 20-year-old, who began 2018 at No. 91 in the ATP Rankings with four tour-level match wins. Since then, Tsitsipas reached his first ATP World Tour final in Barcelona, beat four Top 10 opponents en route to the Toronto championship match, earned his maiden tour-level trophy in Stockholm and now heads home with a trophy from the Next Gen ATP Finals.
In the fourth set, Tsitsipas was on the verge of victory with a 3-2, 30/40 lead on De Minaur’s serve. But after the Greek missed an inside-in forehand, De Minaur hit a lunging backhand volley to save his second match point and force a tie-break.
But the 19-year-old was unable to carry that momentum any further. Tsitsipas didn’t let slip his third match point, falling on his back in celebration after De Minaur missed an inside-in forehand long after one hour and 41 minutes.
Tsitsipas joins inaugural titlist Hyeon Chung as undefeated champions at the Next Gen ATP Finals, earning $407,000 for his efforts. His five victories this week surpass his career win total (4) before 2018.
"I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to play here in Milan and be the second winner of the tournament," Tsitsipas said. "It's a very special moment. I think I can get some confidence out of it and play better in the future."

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

[arti]

[arti]

[Lleyton]

[arti]

[Barty]

Tsitsipas' Not-So-Secret Weapon

Spoiler:

Stefanos Tsitsipas has climbed from just inside the Top 100 to No. 15 in 2018, and his forehand has paved the way.
Stefanos Tsitsipas’ rapid rise has been one of the biggest stories on the ATP World Tour in 2018. From beating four opponents inside the Top 10 of the ATP Rankings in Toronto to capturing his first ATP World Tour title in Stockholm and now reaching the Next Gen ATP Finals, the Greek has proven himself capable against the best players in the world.

And one of the main reasons behind the 20-year-old’s success has been his forehand.

“He can go inside-out, inside-in, he hits a really good approach. There’s a lot to build on with his forehand. And I think as he gets stronger, that shot’s only going to get bigger,” said former World No. 4 Brad Gilbert. “His ability when he hits inside-in [is also important] because most guys go inside-out. When he hits it you’re not expecting it and that’s only going to make his inside-out better. So I think the forehand is off the charts.”


An inside-in forehand is when a player goes up the line off that wing from the backhand corner. Many players choose to go inside-out — cross-court to a right-hander’s backhand — since there is more margin of error and they can attack their opponent’s backhand.

“Inside-in, inside-out, it's all the same. It's basically what you feel more comfortable with. At the moment, I feel more comfortable with my inside-in. Sometimes I feel playing inside-out a bit more. It's also from the position of your opponent,” Tsitsipas said. “If you see your opponent is covering his forehand side more, that's how you decide where you're going to go.

“But my forehand, as I said, is a big weapon. And, yeah, I choose most of the time inside-in because I just can still play with my forehand. If I go inside-out, [my opponent] probably can find the angle a bit better.”

Tsitsipas’ inside-in forehand, which he says, “has been my biggest weapon”, has featured prominently in some of his biggest victories this year. Gilbert remembers one match in particular: Tsitsipas beat then-reigning champion and World No. 3 Alexander Zverev in Toronto. But it was also the variety he showed off that wing that impressed Gilbert.

“One thing that impressed me was how well on the run he could scramble. He'd hit little squash shots back, flick shots below the net and his ability on big points to play the inside-in or take a forehand and come in is impressive,” Gilbert said. “He’s got a lot of confidence on that shot, which is a great sign for someone his age. Maybe he has the best forehand in the game in a few years.”


For Tsitsipas’ father and coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas, seeing his son’s forehand become a major weapon in the sport is no surprise. That’s the way he structured the first Greek ATP World Tour champion’s game from a young age.

“Because of his one-handed backhand, we definitely developed his game through his forehand,” Apostolos said. “When you’re small like 11, 12, 13, 14, you compete, you’re not strong. So often you build your game from the forehand side. That’s my opinion one of the secrets to build a great forehand from a young age. Usually the two-handers, when they’re playing two-handed from a young age, they don’t really pay so much attention to the forehand. So Stefanos, because he was single-handed, he was always building the point with the forehand, so it was really good for his development. Of course now he is stronger, he can accelerate more and be faster and that helps him and now it’s really a weapon.”

Now the big question is, what makes Tsitsipas’ forehand so strong? Apostolos Tsitsipas compares his son’s forehand grip and motion to that of Juan Martin del Potro’s. And it’s no secret that the Argentine’s forehand is one of the best shots in all of tennis.

“Generally when you have a classic Eastern forehand grip like Stefanos, his motion is closer to Del Potro, his grip is close to Del Potro. Del Potro also has a massive forehand, so it helps him because it’s a much cleaner stroke,” Apostolos said. “You don’t have to think so much how to prepare, you just swing. It’s a natural swing. When you let your arm swing naturally, it creates beautiful mechanics.”

And Tsitsipas will hope those ‘beautiful mechanics’ translate to a beautiful performance on Saturday against Alex de Minaur, in the championship match of the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

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

[Lucas]

Tsitsipas Reigns Supreme In Milan

Spoiler:

One year ago, Stefanos Tsitsipas was an alternate at the Fiera Milano. The Greek was close, but yet so far from competing at the premier 21-and-under event in the world.

But this time around, Tsitsipas was not only the top seed in Milan, but he captured the title, winning the Next Gen ATP Finals with a 2-4, 4-1, 4-3(3), 4-3(3) victory against second seed Alex de Minaur on Saturday.

"It feels great. I've been playing some great tennis this week here in Milan," Tsitsipas said. "It was a fantastic match. I stayed calm although I had a chance twice to win the match, but remained calm. I was aiming to win that match. I was mentally very strong and that was proven in the tie-break in the last set."

The triumph caps a tremendous breakthrough season for the 20-year-old, who began 2018 at No. 91 in the ATP Rankings with four tour-level match wins. Since then, Tsitsipas reached his first ATP World Tour final in Barcelona, beat four Top 10 opponents en route to the Toronto championship match, earned his maiden tour-level trophy in Stockholm and now heads home with a trophy from the Next Gen ATP Finals.


In the fourth set, Tsitsipas was on the verge of victory with a 3-2, 30/40 lead on De Minaur’s serve. But after the Greek missed an inside-in forehand, De Minaur hit a lunging backhand volley to save his second match point and force a tie-break.

But the 19-year-old was unable to carry that momentum any further. Tsitsipas didn’t let slip his third match point, falling on his back in celebration after De Minaur missed an inside-in forehand long after one hour and 41 minutes.

Tsitsipas joins inaugural titlist Hyeon Chung as undefeated champions at the Next Gen ATP Finals, earning $407,000 for his efforts. His five victories this week surpass his career win total (4) before 2018.

"I'm incredibly thankful for the opportunity to play here in Milan and be the second winner of the tournament," Tsitsipas said. "It's a very special moment. I think I can get some confidence out of it and play better in the future."

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

[Żilu]

[Del Fed]

Coaches' Corner: Apostolos Tsitsipas A Father & Coach To Stefanos

Spoiler:

Apostolos Tsitsipas speaks to ATPWorldTour.com after his son, Stefanos Tsitsipas, won the Next Gen ATP Finals.

Stefanos Tsitsipas completed a dream season on Saturday evening, punctuating a year in which he climbed from No. 91 to No. 15 in the ATP Rankings and won his maiden ATP World Tour title in Stockholm before lifting the trophy at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
Alongside the Greek through it all has been his father and coach, Apostolos Tsitsipas. Apostolos spoke to ATPWorldTour.com after his son’s triumph.
How does it feel to watch your son win this tournament?
It’s one more step in his career. He achieved one more step. And I’m only saying this kind of tournament, the Next Gen ATP Finals, it’s one more step to [improve a] step and continue your route on this journey.

If I would have told you this time last year when he was an alternate in Milan that he’d be No. 15 in the ATP Rankings and win the tournament, what would you have said?
He did the proper thing to arrive there [at No. 15], and then things are coming, titles are coming and whatever he dreams, whatever he wishes to do in his life, it’s coming. That’s it. It’s a job, it’s all the way from the beginning of the year, the things he works on, they paid off for him now.
What’s the biggest difference between Stefanos now and Stefanos then?
I don’t believe there’s any difference. I think he’s the same person, he’s just growing, he’s learning from his experience and he’s there to learn. It’s so important to be there to learn, not just let lost moments and lost experiences go. I think it helped him tremendously that this year, he played the big guys and that experience is unique.

Now that he is No. 15, he has made a big jump. What’s the next goal?
There are many goals. Definitely to stay there is one of the most important things, and to work again, because now he has new targets, new goals in his life and he has to work again for the new goals. Definitely he’s dreaming of winning a Grand Slam, winning more tournaments, more titles. But as I said, it’s very important to be healthy and play good tennis, and then everything will come.
After Stefanos lost the first set, he spoke to you on the headset, which didn’t happen a lot this week. What did you tell him?
I told him some tactical things, like to take care more on the return of serve, because Alex has special patterns with his serve. He uses some special patterns on his serve, so I told him to take care of it so he can return better and he did it. He stayed closer to the line and became a little bit more aggressive and that was important to win the second set and the third set.
Now that the year is over and Stefanos has achieved everything he has, how nice it is to have gone through it not just as his coach, but as his father?
It was very special to be with my son, definitely. As a coach, I learned a lot of things. I’m learning every day. Hopefully one day I will be a good enough coach for my son for his future demands and his future dreams.

https://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/ap ... milan-2018

[Żilu]

Tsitsipas: 'I Didn't Crack Under Pressure'

Spoiler:

Greek reflects on his Next Gen ATP Finals victory
Stefanos Tsitsipas has experienced a wide range of emotions at the Fiera Milano, the home of the Next Gen ATP Finals. Last year, the Greek missed out on qualifying for the tournament, serving as an alternate. That was disappointing to say the least.

Leaving Milan this time around, Tsitsipas’ emotions are on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. His story is no secret, climbing from No. 91 in the ATP Rankings to No. 15 thanks to a series of impressive accomplishments including his maiden ATP World Tour title in Stockholm and four Top 10 victories in Toronto.

Tsitsipas topped off his tremendous 2018 by lifting the trophy at the Next Gen ATP Finals. The journey has been a lot to take in.

“I've learned a lot. I've learned that I'm a fighter. That I have a big heart. Especially in tough moments like today, let's say my attitude was right,” Tsitsipas said. “I didn't crack under pressure despite losing those two match points that I had on his serve. I stayed in the match. I fought.”

Tsitsipas faced second seed Alex de Minaur in the final, appearing in danger in the fourth set after letting slip two match points, including one off of his patented inside-in forehand. But the Greek refused to leave Milan disappointed, closing out the match in the ensuing tie-break.

“I can play really good under pressure, play my best game under pressure, and it was a great week. [I’ve] been serving amazing. Hopefully I can serve like this next year in every single tournament,” said Tsitsipas, who saved 72 per cent of the break points he faced in the tournament. “I think I have a great game under pressure, and I can be very aggressive and very scary sometimes with the tennis I play. I can just take the ball so early and make my opponents confused and make them take a step back, which is rare.”

As his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, said after his son triumphed, this is a special moment. And while Tsitsipas will certainly enjoy the victory, it is also another step on his journey. The Greek wants to continue moving forward.

“The next step is doing good and playing well in Grand Slams… [and] doing well in most of the tournaments that I'm going to play next year. I'm going to be seeded, I guess, in most of them, so I'm going to have to treat it right and take advantage of my [ATP] Ranking, take advantage of my situation,” Tsitsipas said. “My focus will be on [ATP World Tour] Masters 1000s and Grand Slams. I'm going to try to pull out my best game there. Obviously it's going to be tough. Other players want the same thing.”

The same way Tsitsipas’ 76-spot rise in 2018 did not come without hard work, the Greek knows that while he can enjoy this moment, the road is not over. That means there is more hard work to come.

“I want to have a good preseason this year. Load myself with fitness, with lots of mental sessions with my mental coach, which I believe helps me a lot,” Tsitsipas said. “ refresh and enter into 2019 stronger and better, just a better Stefanos than 2018.”

For now, Tsitsipas has earned himself a break. From four tour-level match wins to claiming 46 this season alone, the Milan champion has grown plenty. Now, the time has come to let it all sink in.

“My vacation in Cyprus,” said a smiling Tsitsipas of what he’s looking forward to. “Laying on the beach, thinking about nothing. Forget social media, forget my phone. Throw it in the trash can. Just me, myself, and I.”

More stories like this in:

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[Damian]

Tsitsipas Named Most Improved Player Of The Year

Spoiler:

Greek rose to a career-high No. 15 ATP Ranking in 2018
#NextGenATP Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas was named the 2018 Most Improved Player of the Year as part of the 2018 ATP World Tour Awards presented by Moët & Chandon. The award was voted on by fellow ATP World Tour players.

"It's great. I didn't expect that," Tsitsipas said. "I had a fantastic year, but it was the last thing that was in my head. And when I finally saw it, I was happy that my name was there. So, yeah, really pleased holding that trophy. All the hard work, all the effort that I put into my game this year, it's part of this trophy. So yeah, it feels great."


The 20-year-old became the top-ranked Greek in ATP Rankings history after rising to a career-high No. 15 this season, and he also became the first player from Greece to win a tour-level title. The champion at the Intrum Stockholm Open, Tsitsipas dropped just one set en route to the indoor-hard court crown.

Tsitsipas rose from a season-opening ATP Ranking of No. 91 to become the youngest member of the Top 20. He also finished runner-up at the ATP World Tour 500 event in Barcelona and the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Toronto, falling to Rafael Nadal in both finals. In Toronto, Tsitsipas became the youngest player to beat four Top 10 opponents at a single tournament since the ATP World Tour was established in 1990.

You May Also Like: Tsitsipas Reigns Supreme In Milan
More Stories Like This In: Awards 2018 Stefanos Tsitsipas Player Features

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[Lucas]

Stefanos Tsitsipas oglądał mecz Milan - Juventus. Na trybunach spotkał Borisa Beckera

Spoiler:

- Spójrzcie, na kogo wpadłem na meczu Milan - Juventus - poinformował na Twitterze Stefanos Tsitsipas. Jeszcze kilka dni temu Boris Becker aktywnie brał udział w losowaniu grup londyńskiego turnieju Masters. W niedzielę znalazł czas i przyleciał do Mediolanu na wielki hit włoskiej Serie A.

Tsitsipas pozostał w Mediolanie po triumfie w Finałach Next Gen ATP 2018. Młodzieżowy turniej Masters wygrał bez porażki, a w decydującym sobotnim pojedynku pokonał Australijczyka Alexa de Minaura. Grek został również uznany za tenisistę, który w 2018 roku wykonał największy postęp. Aktualnie jest 15. rakietą świata.

W rozegranym w ramach 12. kolejki Serie A spotkaniu AC Milan przegrał na San Siro z Juventusem Turyn 0:2. Bramki dla gości zdobyli Mario Mandzukić i Cristiano Ronaldo.

https://sportowefakty.wp.pl/tenis/78819 ... risa-becke

[grzes430]

#2) NextGen ATP Finals 2018


SportoweFakty - WP

RR Jaume Munar 43(5) 43(3) 34(4) 42
RR Frances Tiafoe 43(3) 43(5) 42
RR Hubert Hurkacz 41 43(2) 41
SF Andriej Rubliow 43(3) 34(5) 40 24 43(2)
W Alex De Minaur 24 41 43(3) 43(3)