Tsitsipas displayed amazing grace and modesty in triumph, making him a likeable young man. In the championship round, he will take on either Novak Djokovic or Rafael Nadal, two players who are significantly older than he is. You can keep up with what happens in their semi-final match right here.
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In the First Game of the Fifth Set
he faced three break points and managed to save all of them. I believe that game to have been the deciding factor in the fifth set. I survived and returned, and the crowd went wild. I was receiving their vitality as a gift. I believed that I could still make a difference and that I had a chance to strike back. Just go out there and fight; that’s all I was asked to do, and that’s what I did. It was a trying and heartbreaking experience.
On Friday at the French Open, Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Alexander Zverev of Germany in a hard-fought five sets to advance to the tournament’s final for the first time in Greek tennis history. Tsitsipas, the fifth seed, prevailed 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, and will now play either Rafael Nadal, the 13-time champion, or Novak Djokovic, the number one player in the world.
previous meetings versus Nadal and five of six against Djokovic
The 22-year-old has a tough task ahead of him on Sunday, as he is winless in nine previous meetings versus Nadal and five of six against Djokovic. An emotional Tsitsipas remarked, “All I can think about is my roots, a modest place outside Athens where I hoped to play on the great platform at the French Open” after he won his maiden major tournament final on his fifth match point. This victory means a lot to me; in fact, it’s the most significant one of my career to far. “It was nerve-wracking, so intense, I stayed alive. I went out there and fought.”
Tsitsipas entered the semifinals with a 5-2 career advantage over Zverev, and he wasted no time getting on the board by breaking Zverev for the only time in the opening set in game two.
The strong Greek didn’t allow a single break point, but Tsitsipas managed just one winner, highlighting the closeness of the match.
With a 3-0 lead in the second set, Zverev is well on his way to becoming the first German man to reach the final in Paris since Michael Stich in 1996.
Tsitsipas, though, was able to remain calm under pressure and win six straight games, giving him a commanding lead in the match.
Last Words
Tsitsipas, ranked fifth in the world, has been dominant on clay in 2021, winning both the Monte Carlo and Lyon Masters 1000 tournaments.
His next opponent in Sunday’s final, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic, will be even tougher of a test. Nadal has won the tournament 13 times, and Djokovic is ranked one in the world.
Tsitsipas is the first Greek tennis player to reach a Grand Slam singles final, and the youngest man to reach the French Open final since Rafael Nadal in 2008. Nadal won the tournament five days after turning 22.
