‘Novak Djokovic Roland Garros loss is not easy to erase,’ says Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas had an excellent run in Toronto this week, reaching the semi-final and shedding a good encounter to Reilly Opelka in three units. Stefanos will attempt to go even additional in Cincinnati and collect momentum forward of the season’s final Main on the US Open, in search of the primary Main crown a few weeks after turning 23.

Stefanos spoke once more about his first Main remaining in opposition to Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros in June and that huge lead he squandered. The Greek claimed the opening two units earlier than shedding floor and permitting Djokovic to show the tables and safe the nineteenth Main crown, the second in Paris.

Novak stayed on the court docket for over 4 hours on Friday in opposition to Rafael Nadal, and he didn’t look good within the second set in opposition to Stefanos, falling two units to like down and nearer to the defeat. Like many occasions earlier than, the Serb carried out a miraculous comeback and scored a 6-7, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory in 4 hours and 11 minutes.

After the second set, Novak went into the locker room and returned as a unique participant, regaining his confidence and dealing on a restoration that wrote one other chapter of tennis historical past for him. Djokovic obtained damaged thrice in units one and two, by no means going through troubles behind the preliminary shot once more and securing eight breaks to manage the tempo and cross the end line first.

They each had extra winners than unforced errors, and Novak constructed the benefit within the extra prolonged rallies, taming his strokes extra effectively and leaving Stefanos behind in that section. The Greek survived the opening sport to keep away from an early setback and performed nicely behind the preliminary shot after that.

Djokovic saved a set level within the tenth sport and erased the deficit within the tie break to construct a 6-5 benefit. Staying calm, Tsitsipas saved a set level and claimed the final three factors for 8-6. The Greek was the one participant in set quantity two, dropping 5 factors behind the preliminary shot and producing two breaks for a 7-6, 6-2 lead after an hour and 43 minutes.

Stefanos Tsitsipas nonetheless can’t overcome that Roland Garros remaining defeat.

Leaving the court docket for a couple of minutes, Djokovic returned and began throughout within the third, elevating his stage and staying calm regardless of having no room for errors.

The Serb grabbed a break within the third set’s fourth sport and carried the benefit house for 6-3 and momentum. By no means trying again, Novak fired 14 winners within the fourth set and misplaced three factors in his video games, backing that with a few breaks for 6-2 and a large benefit forward of the decider.

The Greek wasted a few sport factors at 1-1 within the decider and allowed Novak to forge the benefit. Stefanos erased two break possibilities at 2-4 and introduced the sport house to stay inside one break deficit earlier than Djokovic secured the victory with a maintain in sport ten that carried him excessive.

“I wanted a number of time to beat that Roland Garros remaining defeat. It is not simple to erase that from my reminiscence. It is all previously now, however it’s not simple to get it by. Additionally, I can’t change the end result, and the one manner is to go additional and switch that frustration into one thing optimistic subsequent time,” Stefanos Tsitsipas mentioned.