ATP Tour: Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev continued their heated clay-court battle in 2022. On Saturday afternoon, at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. Also, Tsitsipas, the fourth seed, won the semi-finals in Rome by 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. It is the pair’s third clay-court ATP Masters 1000 semi-final this season. Tsitsipas also bounced back from the heartbreak of losing a hard-fought first set. It is to complete a thrilling comeback victory and reach the final for the first time in the Italian capital.
“He didn’t offer me much, and he made me work hard for every point,” Tsitsipas said. “I’m happy with how things turned out, and I could better read the gameplay and figure out what was working at the time.”
Tsitsipas won his 31st race, increasing his lead over second-placed Carlos Alcaraz (28). Also on the season’s list for most match victories. The Greek has risen to No. 4 in the Pepperstone Live ATP Rankings after reaching the semi-finals in Rome. Tsitsipas’ superb clay form has also placed him among the favorites. In preparation for the French Open at Roland Garros in a week.
ATP Tour: Stefanos
Against Zverev, the Greek was mighty on serve. On the other hand, in a fascinating two-hour, 29-minute win, he maintained steady from the baseline to halt his opponent’s early momentum. Also, Tsitsipas was ecstatic to play in his first championship match in Rome. In 2019, he lost in the semi-finals to Rafael Nadal.
“It’s one of the championships with the most sporting history, in my opinion.” “Tsitsipas stated. “One of the most magnificent stadiums, as you can see from the sides. These courts have a lot of history, and you’re very proud of them. You also made it here and can participate in such a historically significant occasion.”
Stefanos vs Alexander
ATP Tour: In April, Stefanos Tsitsipas won the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeating Zverev in straight sets. But the German evened the score with a three-set victory in the Mutua Madrid Open final a week ago. Only Tsitsipas and Zverev have advanced to the semi-finals of all three ATP Masters 1000 clay-court competitions. In addition, the Foro Italico appeared to be gearing up for a showdown.
There were no breakpoints in the first six games in a high-quality start. Also, both players demonstrated the great serving that has fueled their good clay form this year. Zverev made the initial move, converting the set’s first breakpoint to 4-3. Then, German found enough first serves to hold off a Tsitsipas comeback in an intriguing first set. Tsitsipas, like in Madrid last week, was able to come from a set loss in the second. It is to manufacture a momentum swing. Tsitsipas was helped by a gap in Zverev’s level, with the second seed double-faulting, which gave Tsitsipas a 2-0 lead. Even though Zverev used his first serve to successfully fight off Tsitsipas’ attempts to break again, the Greek stayed confident in his delivery to force a decider.
However, Tsitsipas’ ATP Head2Head series lead over Zverev stands at 8-4. In Sunday’s championship match, the Greek will compete for a third Masters 1000 title. World No. 1 Novak Djokovic or fifth seed Casper Ruud will be his opponents.
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Image Credit: www.internazionalibnlditalia.com
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