Stefanos Tsitsipas: Rafael Nadal has talent that no other player has
Rising Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas appeared to feel a bit lost after his Australian Open semi-final clash against world No. 2 Rafael Nadal.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion demolished the 20-year-old Greek 6-2 6-4 6-0 to reach the final at Melbourne Park.
World No. 15 Tsitsipas led 4-3 in the second set when Nadal went on a nine-game winning run to clinch the win in a dominant way.
"Honestly, I have no idea what I can take from that match. It's not that I was even close to get to something. I only got six games from that match," Tsitsipas said post-match, when asked what's the most important takeaway from the match.
"I don't know, I feel very strange. I feel happy with my performance in this tournament, but at the same time I feel disappointed. I feel like I could do a bit better today. I don't know. That's how I felt.
"But it's a very, very weird feeling. Almost felt like just couldn't play better. I don't know."
Tsitsipas lost to Nadal in the Toronto Masters final last year but hoped to use the notes from that match and try to beat the Spaniard on the hard courts of the Australian Open.
Yet, the Greek's hopes of stunning Nadal were short-lived as he simply had no answer for the Spaniard's game.
"He gives you no rhythm. He plays just a different game style than the rest of the players. He has this, I don't know, talent that no other player has. I've never seen a player have this. He makes you play bad. I don't know. I would call that a talent," Tsitsipas claimed.
However, the Greek admitted that he hopes this defeat will "help him" going forward.
Tsitsipas' Australian Open campaign may have ended with a brutal semi-final loss but the memories of stunning his idol Roger Federer in the round-of-16 will never be forgotten.
"For sure. For sure, I mean, this tournament kind of changed and gave another dimension to my career. I'm really happy that I got some good wins this week, against Roger," Tsitsipas admitted.
"Again, I will stick to that match because I did play a very good tennis against Roger, against Bautista Agut, and also Berrettini in the fourth-round match, who is a great player, in my opinion.
"Yeah, I had good matches. But I'm really disappointed today because, again, I feel like I could get closure and prove myself a little bit more, not let him dominate the entire match. Just felt wrong."
Tsitsipas' game-style reminds a bit of the one his idol plays.
"I agree with you. I agree with you. But I don't know, I'm just trying to think how Federer beat him (Nadal) so... Similar game style like me. I'm trying to understand. I mean, I don't want to lose to Rafa 10 times," Tsitsipas admitted.
Also read: Lucas Pouille didn't expect to reach Australian Open semi-final
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2sJ0NKF
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