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NEW YORK (AFP) – Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas expects a relentless struggle from three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray of Britain of their first-round match in subsequent week’s US Open.
Tsitsipas got here near capturing his first Grand Slam title at this 12 months’s French Open, grabbing a two-set lead over top-ranked Novak Djokovic within the ultimate earlier than falling in 5 units.
Now the 23-year-old from Athens is about for a primary profession matchup in opposition to Murray, a 34-year-old Scotsman who received the 2012 US Open and the 2013 and 2016 Wimbledon crowns in addition to 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medals.
“He’s nonetheless on,” Tsitsipas stated. “He’s attempting to be again on the tour final couple of weeks. He’s somebody that has been placing a number of work to get again and has been taking part in excellent tennis to be standing the place he’s at proper now.
“I’m going to go for it, strive my probabilities in opposition to him. He’s somebody that received’t hand over. I’ll should deliver some good tennis from my aspect.”
Tsitsipas was requested about how he thinks he would fare in a US Open assembly with Djokovic, which may solely occur within the ultimate, when the Serbian star could be taking part in for a calendar-year Grand Slam and an unprecedented 21st males’s profession Slam singles title.
“I’m focussing on what’s subsequent. That is manner too deep to look into,” Tsitsipas stated. “Bought to remain within the second. He’s somebody that has run on the Slams proper now.
“Me personally, I simply attempt to keep within the second and get to play one of the best in every single match that I’ll have the chance to play right here.”
It’s a lesson effectively discovered from final 12 months’s US Open, when Tsitsipas misplaced to Croatian Borna Coric within the third spherical after squandering six match factors and being a break up within the fifth set.
“It taught me a number of issues,” Tsitsipas stated. “It was vital that that occurred. Very unlucky it occurred right here.
“I by no means thought it could have been doable to undergo one thing like this. However I used to be very shut. For me that was extra of a win than a loss as a result of in a manner I actually earned to be in that place that I used to be… perhaps I obtained a bit bit unfortunate, I didn’t handle to seek out methods to shut it in one of the simplest ways.
“I noticed it as a constructive loss, regardless of me being so shut from profitable that match. I suppose it constructed energy and gave me perception that issues will get higher.”
Tsitsipas is amongst a bunch of rising younger stars all chasing their first Grand Slam crown, together with Russian second seed Daniil Medvedev and Tokyo Olympic champion Alexander Zverev of Germany.
“All of us, we’re in that sort of path. We share the identical targets and aspirations,” Tsitsipas stated. “I imagine all of us have good sport to get to Grand Slam titles.
“It’s vital we’re in a position to showcase that degree of tennis in these sort of tournaments as greatest as doable to symbolize our era of tennis in the absolute best manner.”
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