Google News Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals his mindset in third set versus Felix Auger-Aliassime
by DZEVAD MESIC | VIEW 7239
No. 2 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas wasn't happy with the fact that he missed out on a chance to wrap things up in straight sets against Felix Auger-Aliassime but he was glad that he escaped with a three-set win. Tsitsipas, ranked at No.
2 in the world, beat world No. 17 Auger-Aliassime 6-2 5-7 6-1 to progress into the Cincinnati Masters semifinal. Tsitsipas missed out on two match points in the second game but kept his focus and managed to win in three sets.
"Tennis is a psychological game and things like this happen. It’s important to just stick to your roots and what you are doing best,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview, per the ATP website. “It might not have been ideal in the second set, especially when I made so many opportunities and had such a good opportunity to close it a bit earlier.
But with a lot of patience and just trying to find that opportunity in the third set, I was stepping in, I was really determined and I didn’t let go”.
Tsitsipas stepped up big time in a the third set
Tsitsipas made a fast start to the match, having broken Auger-Aliassime twice to comfortably win the opener.
After missing out on two match points in the 10th game of the second set, Tsitsipas dropped his serve as Auger-Aliassime served out for a decider in the 12th game. However, losing a tight second set didn't impact Tsitsipas, who broke Auger-Aliassime twice and lost no service games to book a three-set win.
“[I was] determined, fierce and feisty when I had to be. I’m just filled with many emotions right now,” Tsitsipas said. “Things got really tough at some point and I had to find different solutions and come up with some new ideas and I followed through. [I] made it a choice of mine to step in with aggression and build up the game”.
