In Rome, Tsitsipas impresses the world: "Like a game of chess".

© AFP

Elio Valotto

le 15/05/2024 à 11h01

2 min to read

De Minaur Rome Tsitsipas

Everything happens so fast in tennis. Stefanos Tsitsipas, in his infancy at the start of the season, has confirmed his magnificent renaissance. Already a winner in Monte-Carlo and a finalist in Barcelona, Tsitsipas once again put in a string of fine results in Rome, seemingly confirming that Madrid was more of an anomaly than anything else (beaten by Monteiro, 6-4, 6-4).

Given the string of withdrawals and defeats in Italy, the Greek is becoming, despite Zverev's misgivings, the great favourite to win the title in Rome. Very much in form on clay, this is a real opportunity for him. Facing Alex De Minaur (11th) on Tuesday, the world No. 8 made no bones about it. Brilliant in all areas of the game (14 winners, 4 unforced errors, 5 successful breaks), Tsitsipas made short work of a powerless opponent (6-1, 6-2 in 59 minutes).

Close to his baseline, the 25-year-old was very aggressive, barely missing a shot and completely blowing away a distraught De Minaur. This match between two players who are fairly close in the rankings shows both the Australian's weaknesses on the surface and, above all, the Greek's magnificent ease on ochre.

When asked about his superb performance, the three-time Monte-Carlo winner emphasized the tactical aspect of his game: "For a while now, I've been trying to build up my points better, not rushing so much and finding a rhythm that allows me to dominate and win without taking too many risks. I see tennis as a sport with enormous tactical weight, like a game of chess. That's how I approach it."

Be that as it may, a performance of this level is bound to attract attention, and so it seems that 'Tsitsi' is establishing himself as a contender for the title in both Rome and Paris.