Tsitsipas capitalises on Davidovich's injury to reach semi-finals
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MONACO • Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters yesterday when Alejandro Davidovich withdrew after losing the first set 7-5.
The fifth-ranked Greek will play his sixth Masters 1000 semi-final today, and his first in the principality, against Dan Evans.
The Briton followed up his conquest of the top-ranked and 18-time Major winner Novak Djokovic - the biggest scalp of his career - by beating yet another seed, Belgian world No. 15 David Goffin, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
This marks the furthest Evans, who won his first ATP Tour 250 title in February, has progressed at this level, and on clay that is not his favourite surface.
Tsitsipas has twice reached a Masters 1000 final - Toronto in 2018 and Madrid in 2019, losing to Rafael Nadal and Djokovic respectively.
Struggling with an injury to his thigh, Davidovich tried an underarm serve when facing set point, but Tsitsipas pounced to hit a winning backhand return.
Until he was hurt, the Spaniard, who was playing in his first Masters 1000 quarter-final, had been giving his more fancied opponent problems. But at 3-3, Davidovich called for the doctor to treat his left thigh.
He managed the first break of the match, as Tsitsipas began to show signs of irritation, to the point of receiving a warning for swearing. But the Australian Open semi-finalist immediately broke back and, as Davidovich struggled, broke again to end the set and the match.
Monaco is where the Athens-born Tsitsipas is based and, on his home away from home, the 22-year-old said: "I'm happy to be at the place where I am right now,[IT'S] important playing on 'home soil', it kind of feels this way.
"And, I'm happy with my performance today. I think I fought really hard. I was trying and even in difficult moments I was putting out my best tennis.
"I saw he got injured in the middle of the first set. I took advantage of it, tried to make him play.
"It wasn't easy of course, there were certain moments which were a bit tricky and uncertain but yeah, I stayed composed and imposed my game later during that match."
Tsitsipas beat Evans at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and the Hamburg European Open last year.
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ATP MONTE CARLO OPEN
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