Inspired Stefanos Tsitsipas shares message with his fans after conquering Marseille

Together with Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas was the happiest player at the end of 2019, claiming the ATP Finals title on debut and finishing in the top-6. The start of the new season wasn't that good for the Greek, winning only two matches at the ATP Cup and the Australian Open to lose ground before another early exit in Rotterdam. Heading to Marseille where he won the title a year ago, Stefanos finally found his A-game, scoring four convincing victories and defending 250 points that will suit him well following a loose start of the year. Delivering fury from his initial shot, Tsitsipas dropped 19 points in service games against Mikael Ymer and Vasek Pospisil, facing no break chances and building confidence ahead of another solid performance against Alexander Bublik who fell 7-5, 6-3 to propel Stefanos into the tenth ATP final. There, the Greek took down Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-4 in an hour and 26 minutes, beating the Canadian for the second time in a row and leaving him on a negative 0-5 score in the ATP finals so far.

Tsitsipas served well and lost 16 points in ten service games, fending off three out of four break chances in two doubtful service games to mount the pressure on Auger-Aliassime and force him to repeat those numbers if he wanted to stay in contention for the first ATP title. Felix couldn't produce a similar pace, though, facing nine break points and giving serve away thrice to finish on the losing side, just like in Rotterdam a week ago against Gael Monfils. Stefanos held with a service winner in the opening game, landing a forehand winner for a hold at love in game three before moving 3-1 up following a forehand error from Auger-Aliassime, delivering the first break of the match. Serving for the set at 5-3, Tsitsipas fended off three break chances with some powerful shotmaking, staying calm and forcing an error from Felix to secure the opener in 39 minutes.

At 2-2 in set number two, the defending champion seized the fourth break chance with a backhand crosscourt winner before spraying a forehand wide in the next game to suffer a break at 15 and keep Auger-Aliassime on the positive side of the scoreboard. It wasn't to be for the Canadian, though, as he lost serve at 15 in the very next game following a terrible backhand error, falling 5-3 behind when Stefanos landed three winners in game eight. Auger-Aliassime reduced the deficit to 5-4 with a service winner but that was all he could do, with Stefanos sealing the deal with a hold at 15 a few minutes later to celebrate the fifth ATP crown and his best tennis so far in 2020.

"The past is behind to learn from it. The future is ahead to prepare for it. The present is here to live it. There's something about being in front of a live audience that's fun. It's an interesting, very electric, very alive, and intense experience, and you can't get it anywhere else. I've been doing this since I was six, it's part of my fabric as a person. The trophy is earned in the hours that no one is watching. That's what makes it so special. Thank you, Marseille!"

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2w4UYfm