The Greek tennis star defeated the Croatian, one of his toughest opponents in his career, in two sets and will face Daniil Medvedev in an exciting match. The Russian, on the other hand, defeated Hanfmann with a double 6-2 scoreline.
Even though it was only two sets, the most crucial match of the day did not disappoint. Stefanos Tsitsipas, one of the men’s circuit’s top challengers on clay, defeated Borna Coric, one of his toughest opponents in recent years.
The Greek and Croatian players had met numerous times in recent years. Tsitsipas, the presumed favourite based on rankings, has previously struggled against Coric’s tennis prowess: prior to this match, he had lost three of five confrontations, with one of Tsitsipas’ victories coming as a result of Coric’s withdrawal. Therefore, despite the rankings implying otherwise, the game might have gone either way on either side of the net.
Tsitsipas, comfortable on clay-court
The Greek, on the other hand, is particularly comfortable on clay this year. He took the opening set easily, due to a defensive backhand error from Coric and a superb serve from Tsitsipas. In the second set, the match picked up a more intense pace, with an exchange of breaks that seemed to awaken Coric. The rebellion quickly faded when Tsitsipas immediately regained a break and successfully defended his serve.
“Because this is clay-court tennis, things quickly escalated. And there was a turning point, but thanks to my outstanding shotmaking at critical moments, I was able to recover and hold,” Tsitsipas told the press. “In the final game, I played a great service game, serving excellently and just feeling the energy point by point.”
Medvedev, his rival in the semifinal
In the semifinals, Tsitsipas will meet another player he is familiar with: Daniil Medvedev. The Russian was one of the first players of the new generation to make a major breakthrough, particularly in his last match against Rafael Nadal at the US Open. In the other quarterfinal match played yesterday, Medvedev comfortably defeated Yannick Hanfmann with a double 6-2.
Tsitsipas also discussed his forthcoming opponent in the on-court interview, praising Medvedev’s recent progress. “He’s been playing well, and I think he’s playing better than in previous years,” the Greek added. “I’m also doing well.” “I feel good on court, whether it’s a night session or a day session, and I really hope to bring my best game against him,” added the ATP number five.
