Google News Stefanos Tsitsipas counts to 50 before Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev
by JOVICA ILIC | VIEW 3456
If we check the list of players with the most wins in 2021, we will see one standing above his nearest rivals, all packed within three or four triumphs. Andrey Rublev, Daniil Medvedev, Casper Ruud, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have all won between 40 and 43 matches this year, while Stefanos Tsitsipas leads the pack with 50 victories under his belt.
Despite a couple of early exits, Stefanos is the first player to achieve the milestone 50th victory in 2021 following two wins at the US Open against Andy Murray and Adrian Mannarino. This year, the Greek has entered 18 tournaments, advancing into nine semi-finals and lifting two trophies from five title matches.
At the Australian Open, Tsitsipas came from two sets to love down against Rafael Nadal to score a marvelous 3-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-4, 7-5 triumph in four hours and five minutes!
Stefanos Tsitsipas is the first player with 50 ATP wins this season.
Nadal made some loose smash errors in the third set tie break, and they would cost him dearly, as he could not regain momentum in the rest of the clash.
Stefanos failed to go all the way in Rotterdam, Marseille and Acapulco, losing the final in Mexico to Alexander Zverev and fixing that in Monte Carlo, where he claimed the first Masters 1000 title without losing a set. A week later, the Greek stood a point away from another title on clay, giving his best in the Barcelona Open final but falling short after three hours and 38 minutes of grueling tennis.
Tsitsipas claimed three wins in Madrid and Rome and improved that in Lyon and Paris, where he reached the first Major final. Stefanos wasted two sets to love advantage against Novak to stay empty-handed, and he lost ground after that to experience early losses at Wimbledon, Hamburg and the Tokyo Olympics.
Gaining some form back, the Greek advanced into the last four in Toronto and Cincinnati, losing to Reilly Opelka and Alexander Zverev in three tight sets. Stefanos made a winning start at the US Open, adding two wins to his tally and reaching the number of 50 for the second time in three years.
Stefanos had to endure a marathon in the opening round against Andy Murray, prevailing in five sets after a toilet break controversy and beating Adrian Mannarino in four sets two days later to enter the last 32.