Stefanos Tsitsipas stuns Novak Djokovic in three sets

Stefanos Tsitsipas was among the many children to look at in 2018, incomes 25 wins earlier than Toronto and transferring contained in the top-30. Following the Wimbledon fourth spherical and the semi-final in Washington, Stefanos entered his seventh Masters 1000 occasion in Canada, making a debut in Toronto and nearly conquering the trophy.

Exhibiting the preventing spirit of a real champion, Tsitsipas grew to become the youngest participant because the begin of the ATP Tour in 1990 with 4 top-10 wins at a single occasion, reaching the ultimate in opposition to Rafael Nadal on his twentieth birthday.

Within the second spherical, a proficient Greek scored a fabulous 6-3, 7-6 victory over world no 8. Dominic Thiem, dropping solely ten factors behind the preliminary shot and staying composed from begin to end to set Novak Djokovic conflict.

Carried by the momentum from the earlier encounter, Stefanos beat Novak 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 in two hours and 20 minutes and superior into his first Masters 1000 quarter-final!

Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Novak Djokovic in Toronto 2018.

It was the fifth top-10 triumph for Stefanos and the one which gave him an enormous increase in his quest in direction of the top-20.

Like in opposition to Thiem, the teenager earned the win after a dominant efficiency on serve in opposition to one of many best returners in historical past, keeping off each break possibilities and retaining the strain on the opposite facet of the online.

The Serb got here to Toronto after conquering Wimbledon however couldn’t keep on the extent from London, failing to impress within the first two matches and staying away from his A-game in opposition to Stefanos. The teenager saved his backhand secure and had the higher hand on the courtroom, attacking from each alternative and retaining the factors on his racquet to seal the deal in three units.

Hitting 42 winners and 34 unforced errors, Stefanos regarded like a person on the mission in opposition to a four-time champion, putting a service winner in 25% of all preliminary photographs and overpowering Novak in these quickest exchanges to maneuver excessive.

Djokovic needed to play in opposition to three break possibilities already within the first service recreation, repelling them to keep away from an early exit. Stefanos grabbed the primary break in recreation six, forging the benefit and shutting the opening set with a maintain at love at 5-3.

Within the second set’s ninth recreation, Djokovic fended off two break factors to achieve a tie break and received it 7-5 to outlive a scare and set a decider. Beginning throughout there, Tsitsipas clinched an early break and saved break possibilities within the subsequent recreation to stay forward.

The Greek served properly in the remainder of the encounter and sealed the cope with a forehand winner at 5-3 for a spot within the quarter-final.