Stefanos Tsitsipas rose to the occasion and delivered on Wednesday, defeating Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7(11), 7-6(1) to increase his chances of making the semi-finals in Turin.
A dramatic topsy-turvy match that swung one way and then the other at the Pala Alpitour was the 11th installment of their long-running ATP Head2Head rivalry, and it was Tsitsipas who emerged victorious.
After blowing three match points in the second set, the Greek lost focus and rallied to win the match in two hours and twenty-one minutes, moving his ATP Head2Head record against Medvedev to 4-7.
Tsitsipas remarked, “It was pretty exhausting out there. “I’m so happy I got through it and got to enjoy it with the crowd. I’m very proud of the way I thought because it led to this fantastic victory. For me, it never really appeared to be coming to an end. I still believed that if I could manage to hit a few balls in the last game while he was serving, a chance may present [itself], and it did.
“I felt reinvigorated and it was amazing to get back into the match. What a great way to conclude it.”
Every time he had the chance, the Greek moved inside the baseline, making good offensive progress as he finished points at the net by taking advantage of Medvedev’s position deep in the court. In order to win, he won 80% (36/45) of the points he received at the net while also forcing the fourth seed into mistakes with his hard hitting in the brisk circumstances.
Tsitsipas maintained his chances of making the semi-finals after claiming his Tour-leading 61st victory of the year. The 24-year-old and Andrey Rublev, who each have a 1-1 record in Turin, will square off in a winner-takes-all match on Friday. For the semifinals, Novak Djokovic has already qualified.
This week in Turin, Tsitsipas is attempting to become the 11th player to win multiple Nitto ATP Finals championships. At the famous end-of-year tournament in 2019, the Greek won in his debut match, defeating Dominic Thiem.
Tsitsipas and Medvedev put on a late-night spectacle at the Pala Alpitour for a crowded crowd with their furious ball-striking and all-court action. The Greek won 93 percent (14/15) of the points at the net and slammed 12 winners to take the lead in a commanding first-set performance.
Following a second set in which both players had excellent serves, Tsitsipas rallied from a point behind in the tie-break to reach match point. But Medvedev persisted, winning several protracted exchanges while he preserved three match points to remain in the game. On his fourth set point, he then executed a smash to force a decider.
When he had a 5-3 lead in the third set, the fourth seed appeared to be on track to accomplish a stunning comeback, but Tsitsipas displayed his big-match attitude by breaking back for 5-5. He then maintained his composure during the tie-break to win, lifting his arms in celebration.
In his post-match presser, Medvedev commented, “[It was] terrible to not serve it out, especially on such [a] quick court.” “In the opening game of the match, I botched my [serve], which is never good but is occasionally possible. To get into the game, you need some time.
“Then, until I had a break in the third [set], I hadn’t encountered a break point. I wasn’t very nervous. I simply needed to play and serve better.”
Tsitsipas has defeated Thiem in 2019 and Rublev in 2020 to improve to 3-0 at the Nitto ATP Finals in third-set tie-breaks.
Before making the final the previous year, Medvedev won the trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals in 2020. However, the 26-year-old was eliminated from this year’s competition after falling to Andrey Rublev this week as well.
