Tsitsipas overcomes mid-match scare to advance to French Open third round
PARIS: Former runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a mid-match wobble before carving out a 6-3, 6-2, 6-7(2), 6-4 win over Germany’s Daniel Altmaier on Wednesday, securing his spot in the French Open third round.
The Greek ninth-seed, who recently triumphed in Monte Carlo and reached the finals in Barcelona, showcased why he is considered a strong title contender on his favored clay surface. Tsitsipas seemed to be in control, cruising through the first two sets in under an hour with a display of powerful forehands that left Altmaier struggling.
However, the 83rd-ranked Altmaier mounted a spirited comeback in the third set, adopting a more aggressive approach that unsettled Tsitsipas. Despite this, Tsitsipas managed to regain his composure in the fourth set to close out the match.
Reflecting on his brief loss of concentration, Tsitsipas noted, “Fighting yourself. This is something that will happen during a match. You have to fight your emotions and feelings. The biggest war you have is with yourself. You have to figure that out and get it out of the way. I was down in the score. I didn’t give up. I’ve had plenty of comebacks in the past and I’ve learned from those.”(Reuters)
