Stefanos Tsitsipas sees Australian Open exit as another chance to evolve
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Tennis - Australian Open - Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia - January 21, 2024 Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas reacts during his fourth round match against Taylor Fritz of the U.S. REUTERS/Issei Kato
MELBOURNE – Stefanos Tsitsipas said he hoped to emerge stronger from his fourth-round defeat by Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open on Jan 21, after the Greek world No. 7 suffered his earliest exit in four years at the Melbourne Park Grand Slam.
The 25-year-old reached the last four in 2019 and lost in the third round the following year, but embarked on two more semi-final runs before losing to 10-time champion Novak Djokovic in 2023’s title clash. Tsitsipas said he would need a few days to reflect and recover from his 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 defeat.
“It’s not a negative feeling,” he said. “It’s a feeling of evolution, of change, which is constant. Change is always constant. One day you’re in the top 10, the other day you’re not there any more.
“So you have to keep on working and allowing yourself to flourish through these experiences, allow yourself to seek all these moments that have been working for you over the last few years, give it another shot time after time.”
Tsitsipas, who is yet to win a Grand Slam, said dealing with setbacks was part of the job.
“There’s way more moments in your career that are painful and tough to deal with, suffering and all that, than moments of glory and success and opening champagne bottles. These are a small percentage of what a tennis player lives on a yearly basis,” he added.
Djokovic has no shortage of champagne-popping moments and stayed on course for a record-extending 25th Grand Slam after outclassing Adrian Mannarino 6-0, 6-0, 6-3.
The Serb ran rings around his French opponent on Rod Laver Arena to underline his status as the hot favourite to lift an 11th title at Melbourne Park.
“I really wanted to lose that game in the third set because the tension was building up so much in the stadium. I just needed to get that out of the way and refocus,” said Djokovic, referring to the possibility of completing a rare triple bagel.
The world No. 1, who said he had “executed perfectly”, is into the last eight of a Grand Slam for the 58th time, equalling Roger Federer’s men’s record as he maintains an iron grip on the game.
He has now won 32 consecutive matches at the tournament, not tasting defeat since he lost to South Korea’s Chung Hyeon in 2018. Djokovic did not compete in 2022 due to his coronavirus vaccination status.
Djokovic, who will face Fritz in the last eight, said he thought there would be less stress around practice and matches this season, but admitted the intensity was as fierce as ever even though he is now 36.
He said: “It’s still there. The fire is still burning. I think that’s what allowed me to be where I am and achieve the things that I have achieved.”
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner was far from his best but found a way to come out on top in the key moments as he reached the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 win over 2023 semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.
He will next face fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who tamed Alex de Minaur in five gruelling sets 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-0 to shatter home hopes and make his second successive Australian Open quarter-final. REUTERS, AFP
