Federer calls on Tsitsipas to ‘take it to next level’ and bounce back from dip in form

Roger Federer has said he hopes to see Stefanos Tsitsipas “taking it to the next level” after the Greek’s recent dip in form.

The 25-year-old reached a career high of third in the ATP Tour rankings in 2021 but slipped out of the top 10 earlier this year following a run of poor results.

It means there are no players in the top 10 of the men’s rankings that deploy a single-handed backhand but more pertinently, if Tsitsipas continues his descent, his tournament draws will become harder.

The Greek reached the final of the Australian Open in 2023 but exited the same event in the fourth round this year, losing in four sets to Taylor Fritz.

A defeat in the semi-finals at the Los Cabos Open to Casper Ruud followed, before he was beaten by Alex de Minaur in the last eight of the Mexican Open.

Tsitsipas then lost 6-2 6-4 to Jiri Lehecka in the last 16 at Indian Wells, meaning his wait for a first Masters 1000 title since August 2022 goes on.

Speaking to Greek outlet Cosmote TV, Federer was asked what he thought of Tsitsipas’ game.

“Good, I mean, I obviously lost against him a bunch of times and I think he’s a great player, but I would like to see him taking it to the next level. So I wish him very well,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said.

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“Of course, Tsitsipas is still doing well, and I hope he can do great this year and have another breakthrough.”

Lehecka is the first Czech to reach the quarter-finals of an ATP Tour Masters 1000 event and admitted it was his “aggressiveness” that helped him prevail and set up a meeting with Italy’s Jannik Sinner.

Sinner, the Australian Open champion, dug deep to beat Ben Shelton in the last 16 for his 18th victory in a row.

In the top half of the draw, Tommy Paul and Casper Ruud will square off for a place in the last four in California, with the winner to take on Daniil Medvedev or Holger Rune.

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Alcaraz blasts past Marozsan to reach Indian Wells quarters, Tsitsipas out

Carlos Alcaraz’s Indian Wells title defence remains on track after the second seed dispatched Fabian Marozsan with a convincing straight-sets win to reach the quarter-finals.

The world No. 2 needed 75 minutes to seal a 6-3 6-3 victory and set up a last-eight tie against Alexander Zverev or Alex de Minaur.

Alcaraz knew only too well that his Hungarian opponent was capable of producing an upset, having fallen to him in the Rome Masters third round last year.

But Tuesday’s result was rarely in doubt as the Spaniard put in a dominant performance, producing 24 winners and only five unforced errors to continue his bid for a first title of the 2024 season.

Marozsan had to navigate a tricky moment in the opening game, seeing off a break point for a good hold, but that proved to be the exception rather than the norm in a solid start from both players.

There were no more opportunities until game seven, when Alcaraz ramped up the pressure by winning three points on the bounce to set up a hat-trick of break points. Marozsan clung on with two winners but couldn’t see off the third as the second seed edged in front.

Alcaraz had his foot on the throat and pressed home his advantage with a solid hold to consolidate, before sealing a second break with a winner to clinch a 41-minute opening set.

Both players stayed strong behind serve at the start of the second but particularly Alcaraz, who lost just one point in his first three service games to take a 3-2 lead.

He then pounced in similar style to the opening set, firing a couple of winners to earn three break points and requiring three bites at the cherry before finding a way through with another winner for a 4-2 lead.

Marozsan responded strongly, setting up his first couple of break points of the match in the following game, but Alcaraz remained calm by saving them both, before sealing a big hold with an ace.

After a Marozsan hold, it was down to the two-time major winner to serve out the match, and he obliged with an emphatic love hold.

One man who will not be joining Alcaraz in the quarter-finals is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who crashed out with a 6-2 6-4 defeat to Jiri Lehecka.

The Greek, seeded 11th in the draw, was broken three times and failed to win a game on his opponent’s serve as the Czech impressed by landing 20 winners.

It was a landmark moment for world No. 32 Lehecka, who will compete in an ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final for the first time in his career against Ben Shelton or Jannik Sinner.

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‘A tricky time for both of us’ – How Tsitsipas is trying to help Badosa through injury troubles

Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up on the support he is giving girlfriend Paula Badosa during a “tricky time” as she looks to return to full health.

Former world No. 2 Badosa missed the second half of the 2023 season with a back issue and has continued to be troubled by injuries this year.

She pulled out of Indian Wells shortly before her first match at the tournament, saying she “tried everything to be able to play” and is having a “very difficult time with my injury”.

“It does create a difficult time for not just Paula but me, as well, having to be there and keep pushing her to kind of get well and jump back on the court,” he said.

“She’s kind of been in and out. The most frustrating part about all of this is that she did play a few matches, and then she didn’t feel that well again, so it has been a tricky time for both of us.

“On my end, I’m trying to find the right words and the right things to say. Obviously when it started in the beginning, you have a lot of faith in it and you’re, like, ‘Okay, you just need to stay committed in the process of healing and getting better.’ But after a while, there aren’t many things you can say, because you are confused yourself with what’s happening with the body.

“I’m just there as much as I can to keep making her feel good that at least we are together and we’re trying to find a solution together.”

Badosa, now ranked at No. 73 in the world, made the third round of the Australian Open in only her second Grand Slam appearance since the start of 2023.

But she then pulled out of matches in Thailand and Dubai due to injury.

After her withdrawal from Indian Wells she wrote on X that “one day I’ll be smiling on a court again”.

Tsitsipas added: “I do feel like time will show, and soon I’m pretty sure she will be fully healed and be ready to go full again.”

Tsitsipas is looking for a deep run at Indian Wells to get back into the top 10 in the rankings.

The former world No. 3 has dropped down to No. 11 after a dip in form over the last 12 months and his lower ranking has seen him land in a tricky part of the Indian Wells draw.

“It’s part of the whole experience being outside of the top 10,” said Tsitsipas about the challenges of his draw.

“We have seen players that were in the top 10 and dropped out a little bit. Some of them much further.

“It can be tricky for those that are high-ranked because some of the players do have that big tennis that they have, of course, once produced which kept them in the top five and they had big results…I’ve had those actually in the past against players that do not deserve to be outside the top 20 or 30 and are way better than that in terms of tennis and experience.

“These can be tricky matches, and I feel like being some sort of contender for that title, let’s say, it does perhaps add a bit more pressure to the other guys, because of course I have proved myself over the last few years that I can be there. It’s just that it hasn’t worked out recently, and I’m not in the best sort of tennis shape that I’ve been in terms of the last months.”

Tsitsipas plays 32nd seed Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round on Tuesday.

The winner could face third seed Jannik Sinner in the quarters.

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‘A tricky time for both of us’ – How Tsitsipas is trying to help Badosa through injury troubles

Stefanos Tsitsipas has opened up on the support he is giving girlfriend Paula Badosa during a “tricky time” as she looks to return to full health.

Former world No. 2 Badosa missed the second half of the 2023 season with a back issue and has continued to be troubled by injuries this year.

She pulled out of Indian Wells shortly before her first match at the tournament, saying she “tried everything to be able to play” and is having a “very difficult time with my injury”.

“It does create a difficult time for not just Paula but me, as well, having to be there and keep pushing her to kind of get well and jump back on the court,” he said.

“She’s kind of been in and out. The most frustrating part about all of this is that she did play a few matches, and then she didn’t feel that well again, so it has been a tricky time for both of us.

“On my end, I’m trying to find the right words and the right things to say. Obviously when it started in the beginning, you have a lot of faith in it and you’re, like, ‘Okay, you just need to stay committed in the process of healing and getting better.’ But after a while, there aren’t many things you can say, because you are confused yourself with what’s happening with the body.

“I’m just there as much as I can to keep making her feel good that at least we are together and we’re trying to find a solution together.”

Badosa, now ranked at No. 73 in the world, made the third round of the Australian Open in only her second Grand Slam appearance since the start of 2023.

But she then pulled out of matches in Thailand and Dubai due to injury.

After her withdrawal from Indian Wells she wrote on X that “one day I’ll be smiling on a court again”.

Tsitsipas added: “I do feel like time will show, and soon I’m pretty sure she will be fully healed and be ready to go full again.”

Tsitsipas is looking for a deep run at Indian Wells to get back into the top 10 in the rankings.

The former world No. 3 has dropped down to No. 11 after a dip in form over the last 12 months and his lower ranking has seen him land in a tricky part of the Indian Wells draw.

“It’s part of the whole experience being outside of the top 10,” said Tsitsipas about the challenges of his draw.

“We have seen players that were in the top 10 and dropped out a little bit. Some of them much further.

“It can be tricky for those that are high-ranked because some of the players do have that big tennis that they have, of course, once produced which kept them in the top five and they had big results…I’ve had those actually in the past against players that do not deserve to be outside the top 20 or 30 and are way better than that in terms of tennis and experience.

“These can be tricky matches, and I feel like being some sort of contender for that title, let’s say, it does perhaps add a bit more pressure to the other guys, because of course I have proved myself over the last few years that I can be there. It’s just that it hasn’t worked out recently, and I’m not in the best sort of tennis shape that I’ve been in terms of the last months.”

Tsitsipas plays 32nd seed Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round on Tuesday.

The winner could face third seed Jannik Sinner in the quarters.

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Alcaraz downs Auger-Aliassime to reach Indian Wells last 16, Medvedev and Tsitsipas also through

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2 6-3 at Indian Wells on Sunday afternoon to move into the last 16.

Alcaraz reached the quarter-finals of the Australian Open back in January, but failed to successfully defend his Argentina Open title last month, and then retired from the Rio Open with an ankle problem.

Auger-Aliassime reached the third round in Melbourne, and having fallen down the men’s rankings to No. 30, is eyeing a sustained run of good form to move back up.

The pair went toe-to-toe for the first four games, before the world No. 2 broke to go 5-2 to clear and put the pressure on the Canadian to keep pace.

Auger-Aliassime was unable to resist the Spaniard’s charge however and lost the first set, and the momentum stayed with Alcaraz as he broke in the first game of the second set.

Alcaraz pushed hard for a second break but Auger-Aliassime hung on at deuce to go 3-2 behind with Alcaraz still to serve.

Alcaraz’s more incisive play was reflected by his conversion of three out of six potential breaks, while his rival could not convert his single opportunity, and with four double faults from Auger-Aliassime, he was rarely able to threaten an upset as he saw his opponent win through.

“I think he didn’t get that many points with his serves. I think he lives with his serve,” Alcaraz said of his win.

“I put almost every return in, playing the point. I felt that I’m better than him from the baseline, putting some good points on the court and I think it went well. I played aggressive with less mistakes. I think it was almost a perfect match for me.”

Elsewhere on Sunday, Daniil Medvedev beat Roberto Carballes Baena in straight sets, as he chased the last remaining hard court Masters 1000 event he is yet to bag in his career.

The world No. 4 needed just under 90 minutes to complete his win.

“It was not an easy match. The rallies are slow here so 1:30 for 6-2, 6-3 is pretty long. But I know how to play well in these long rallies,” Medvedev said. “I think I had the match under control. He managed to play one very good game at 4-2, but I was like, ‘Okay, I just have to continue’, and I managed to find a way.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas got past Frances Tiafoe 6-3 6-3 with little trouble, with the defeat meaning that the beaten American will drop out of the world top 20.

Alex de Minaur was victorious over Alexander Bublik, and Fabian Marozsan won 6-2 6-2 over Thiago Seyboth Wild.

The round-of-16 matches will take place on Tuesday.

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Zverev shocked in Acapulco opener as Rune wins on Mouratoglou return

Top seed Alexander Zverev suffered a surprise defeat to Daniel Altmaier in his opening match at the Mexican Open.

Zverev, who won the tournament in 2021, was beaten 6-3 3-6 6-3 by the world No. 57.

Altmaier had lost his previous four matches in a row but saved six of seven break points to beat his fellow German, including three in the deciding set.

Second seed Holger Rune had no troubles winning his opener as he beat Michael Mmoh 6-2 6-3.

It was Rune’s first match since reuniting with coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

“We might both agree that I executed [the game plan] very well. It just feels good.

“I’m just trying to build on every match. I thought it’s a great start, because it’s a very strong field in Acapulco, so you’ll have to play great tennis to be able to go deep and potentially win the tournament.”

Rune next faces American qualifier Aleksandar Kovacevic, who beat Los Cabos champion Jordan Thompson 6-3 5-7 6-4.

There were also wins for fourth seed Casper Ruud and sixth seed Frances Tiafoe.

Los Cabos runner-up Ruud won 6-4 6-7(5) 6-3 against Christopher Eubanks while Tiafoe overcame Max Purcell 4-6 6-3 6-0.

Stefanos Tsitsipas looks set for a return to the top 10 after he won 6-3 6-4 against Roman Safiullin.

Tsitsipas is currently up from No. 12 to No. 10 in the live rankings and could move higher with a deep run in Acapulco.

Reflecting on his win over Safiullin, he said: “It’s one of those first rounds that you get good opponents and a very good, strong start from the beginning of the tournament.

“I knew that dealing with Roman, he’s someone that can play good on these kinds of surfaces. He takes the ball early, pushes you back. That was the main thing I had to deal with today, which I did pretty well.”

Tsitsipas will next play Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli, who stunned Felix Auger-Aliassime 2-6 6-3 6-2 in the first round.

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‘Proud’ Norrie triumphs to continue Rio title defence

Cameron Norrie became the third player to reach the Rio Open semi-final while defending the crown after defeating Thiago Seyboth Wild in the last eight.

The Brit joined Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the last four as defending champions in 2015 and 2023 respectively, following his composed 6-1 3-6 6-2 triumph over the home player.

After taking the opening set, Norrie held off a comeback from the Brazilian to seal victory with his fifth match point and confirm his first ATP Tour semi-final since May.

“I was just really proud of how I fought hard,” Norrie said after the match. “It was so humid and it was tough physically. I managed to break there in the end, so I’m proud of myself.”

On reaching a Tour-level semi-final, Norrie added: “It’s massive. I had a tough patch at the end of last year and I just wanted to stay strong. It’s wins like this that make it count.”

Norrie will face Argentine qualifier Mariano Navone in his 24th Tour-level semi-final, as he bids to become the first player to win the Rio Open on more than one occasion.

The 28-year-old took just 30 minutes to wrap up the opening set in style, but an error-strewn second set gave Seyboth Wild a lifeline.

Norrie shrugged off his dip and raced to 5-1 in the deciding set without facing a break point before he impressively closed out the match, despite the raucous home support for the Brazilian.

Following his run in Rio, Norrie is set to make his debut in the top 100 of the ATP Rankings on Monday, where he is expected to rise from his career-high position of 113 to the top 80.

Seyboth Wild was the first player to take the defending champion to three sets, but Norrie was too strong for him as he edged towards a record-breaking campaign.

Elsewhere, Casper Ruud overcame defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semi-final at the Los Cabos Open in Mexico.

The Norwegian player beat the Greek 6-4 7-6 (4) and will face either top seed Alexander Zverev or Jordan Thompson in the final.

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In-form Norrie blasts into Rio Open quarter-finals, Ruud sets Tsitsipas date in Los Cabos

Cameron Norrie stormed into the quarter-finals of the Rio Open with a resounding straight-sets win over Tomas Barrios Vera.

The British No. 1 completed a 6-1 6-1 victory in just 59 minutes to set up a tie with home favourite Thiago Seyboth Wild next.

Second seed Norrie is the defending champion in Brazil and found his form on a night where he struck 21 winners, made just eight unforced errors and broke his opponent’s serve six times.

“I really played well and I was really accurate,” said Norrie. “I hit close to the lines and was very disciplined on the return. I enjoyed it.”

He added: “I’m going to keep focusing on myself and my level and I want to make sure to keep taking care of my matches like that.”

Norrie’s meeting with Seyboth Wild will be a career first, after the Brazilian saw off Jaume Munar 6-3 4-6 6-3.

The winner of their meeting will face Joao Fonseca or Mariano Navone in the semi-finals.

On the other side of the draw, fifth seed Sebastien Baez defeated Buenos Aires champion Facundo Diaz Acosta in straight sets to set up a tie against Brazilian wild card Thiago Monteiro.

Fourth seed Francisco Cerundolo will face Dusan Lajovic in the other quarter-final.

In Los Cabos, Casper Ruud moved into the semi-finals to continue an impressive week with a 6-3 6-2 win over Nuno Borges.

There he will face Stefanos Tsitsipas, who overcame Aleksandar Kovacevic 7-6(1) 6-3.

The winner of that match will face top seed Alexander Zverev or Jordan Thompson in the final, following their respective victories over Thanasi Kokkinakis and Alex Michelsen.

In Doha, 18-year-old sensation Jakub Mensik continued his dream week by knocking out top seed Andrey Rublev.

“It’s just been an incredible week from the beginning I played very well and I knew I could play with the big players. It’s an amazing feeling to reach the semi-finals after beating those good players,” Mensik said.

“But the job is not done yet. Hopefully I can play like this again in the semis tomorrow and go on to make the final.”

Mensik will face Gael Monfils for a place in the final, while Alexei Popyrin will take on Karen Khachanov in the other semi after their wins over Alexander Bublik and Emil Ruusuvuori respectively.

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Tsitsipas avenges Madrid loss against Zverev to reach maiden Rome final

Stefanos Tsitsipas has improved his head-to-head record to 8-4 against Alexander Zverev after coming from behind to beat the world No. 3 4-6 6-3 6-3 to reach the Italian Open final.

Tsitsipas’ 31st win of the season will see him play either five-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic or Norwegian fifth seed Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final after a hard-fought win in two hours and 27 minutes.

“He wasn’t giving me much, he made me work hard for every single point,” Tsitsipas said after the match as he bids to win the third Masters title of his career.

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“I’m extremely proud of the way things turned around, and I was able to read the gameplay a little bit better and understand what was working at that time.

“It’s one of those tournaments that I think has the most history in sport.

“As you can see looking around the sides, one of the most beautiful stadiums. There’s a lot of history playing on these courts and you feel very proud that you made your way here and are able to participate in such a historically rich event.”

Zverev knocked Tsitsipas out of the Madrid Open last week in three sets and it was another expectedly close encounter, in their third clay-court Masters semi-final meeting this season, in front of a boisterous crowd in sweltering conditions on Centre Court.

The first break point of the match arrived in the seventh game and it went the way of Zverev.

The German, who was hitting more winners, was helped greatly by the net cord as it threw Tsitsipas off rhythm and forced the world No.3 to fire wide. Zverev held his remaining service games to get off to a good start.

Tsitsipas responded brightly in the second set and quickly raced into a 3-0 lead.

Tsitsipas was gifted the break by Zverev double faulting on his serve on break point. It was the only break of the second set as Tsitsipas improved on his groundstrokes to force a decider.

A limp forehand from Zverev in the fifth game put Tsitsipas a break in front. And the 23-year-old, leading 5-3, sealed the match on Zverev’s serve when the Olympic gold medallist whipped a cross-court backhand wide at the net.

– – –

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Tsitsipas avenges Madrid loss against Zverev to reach maiden Rome final

Stefanos Tsitsipas has improved his head-to-head record to 8-4 against Alexander Zverev after coming from behind to beat the world No. 3 4-6 6-3 6-3 to reach the Italian Open final.

Tsitsipas’ 31st win of the season will see him play either five-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic or Norwegian fifth seed Casper Ruud in Sunday’s final after a hard-fought win in two hours and 27 minutes.

“He wasn’t giving me much, he made me work hard for every single point,” Tsitsipas said after the match as he bids to win the third Masters title of his career.

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“I’m extremely proud of the way things turned around, and I was able to read the gameplay a little bit better and understand what was working at that time.

“It’s one of those tournaments that I think has the most history in sport.

“As you can see looking around the sides, one of the most beautiful stadiums. There’s a lot of history playing on these courts and you feel very proud that you made your way here and are able to participate in such a historically rich event.”

Zverev knocked Tsitsipas out of the Madrid Open last week in three sets and it was another expectedly close encounter, in their third clay-court Masters semi-final meeting this season, in front of a boisterous crowd in sweltering conditions on Centre Court.

The first break point of the match arrived in the seventh game and it went the way of Zverev.

The German, who was hitting more winners, was helped greatly by the net cord as it threw Tsitsipas off rhythm and forced the world No.3 to fire wide. Zverev held his remaining service games to get off to a good start.

Tsitsipas responded brightly in the second set and quickly raced into a 3-0 lead.

Tsitsipas was gifted the break by Zverev double faulting on his serve on break point. It was the only break of the second set as Tsitsipas improved on his groundstrokes to force a decider.

A limp forehand from Zverev in the fifth game put Tsitsipas a break in front. And the 23-year-old, leading 5-3, sealed the match on Zverev’s serve when the Olympic gold medallist whipped a cross-court backhand wide at the net.

– – –

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