Turin, Italy (The Hawk): Stefanos Tsitsipas stepped up and delivered on Wednesday, outlasting Daniil Medvedev 6-3, 6-7(11), 7-6(1) to increase his chances of making the semifinals in Turin.
A thrilling topsy-turvy match that swung one way and then the other at the Pala Alpitour was the 11th instalment of their long-running ATP Head to Head 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 Head to Head series against Medvedev to 4-7.
Tsitsipas remarked, "It was very exhausting out there. "I'm so pleased that I was able to join the group in enjoying it after overcoming this. I'm very proud of the way I thought because it led to this fantastic victory. For me, it never really seemed to be coming to an end. I still believed that if I could get a few balls in during the last game while he was serving, a chance might present (itself), and it did.
"I felt reborn and it was great to get back into the match. What a great way to end it."
Every time he had the chance, the Greek moved inside the baseline, making good forward 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 conditions.
Tsitsipas maintained his chances of making the semifinals 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 titles. At the prestigious 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 fierce ball-striking and all-court play. 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 strong serves, Tsitsipas rallied from a point down 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 complete a stunning comeback, but Tsitsipas displayed his big-match mentality by breaking back for 5-5. He then maintained his composure during the tie-break to win, raising his arms in celebration.
In his post-match press conference, Medvedev said, "It (was) terrible to not serve it out, especially on such (a) fast court." "In the first game of the match, I blew my (serve), which is never good but can happen. To get into the game, you need some time.
"Then, until I got a break in the third, I didn't encounter a break point (set). I wasn't particularly 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.
(Inputs from Agencies)
