Tsitsipas overcomes Zverev’s comeback to win in the Monte Carlo Round of 16.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, of Greece, looks at the ball during his Round of 16 match at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters tennis tournament in Roquebrune Cap Martin, France, versus Alexander Zverev of Germany. Image: EPA/Sebastien Nogier via AAP
In his Round of 16 encounter against Alexander Zverev at the Mont-Carlo Masters, Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame a scare midway through.
The Greek won 7-5, 7-6(3) after blowing a 5-0 lead in the second set.The 12th seed, who won this clay-court tournament in 2021 and 2022, plays his best tennis there.
In their 15th head-to-head match, he was at his best against the German for a set and a half.Tsitsipas referred to the match as an adventure of a lifetime when it was over.
Something I don’t deal with every day, and there were moments when the momentum changed significantly. It traveled in one direction before turning entirely around.
I’m still trying to figure out what happened, so I really don’t know. In the second set, I won 5-0.But in the tie-break, especially after I received the mini-break, things appeared to be going really well.
Tsitsipas appeared to be headed for a major victory over the Australian Open semifinalist from 2024.He had excellent footwork to control his forehand and drove Zverev deep with his powerful spin.
After the 25-year-old led 7-5, 5-0, and appeared to be winning easily, the match took an unexpected turn.His misfiring started, and Zverev capitalized to tie the set at five.
The top-ranked Greek, though, found his poise in the tie-break and won in two hours and six minutes, preventing the match from going to a final set.
With a 24–16 winners to unforced mistakes ratio, Tsitsipas defeated a top–five opponent for the first time this season.
It’s a significant victory. I’m appreciative that I could play as well as I did today. Throughout the entire game, a lot of mental toughness was required. It was very much the same from start to finish. From the baseline, I felt really in control, Tsitsipas remarked.
It really helped me to be able to open the court and create speed. There is still tennis to be played, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. The fight I had today was an excellent gauge of my ability to fight under pressure.
Tsitsipas is currently nearing his peak despite having only made it past the quarterfinals at one tour-level event this season—in Los Cabos.
In the quarterfinals, Tsitsipas—who has a 17-3 record in the Principality—will take on Karen Khachanov.
