Tsitsipas Succumbs to Djokovic in Tennis Showdown at Italian Open

Defending Italian Open champion, tennis’ #1 player Novak Djokovic took on young Greek star Stefanos Tsitsipas in a nail-biting quarterfinal on Saturday in the muddy red clay in Rome.

Tsitsipas lost 2-1 to Djokovic, with a score of 4-6, 7-5, and 7-5.

The match was originally scheduled to take place on Friday, however, due to heavy rain it was postponed and rescheduled to take place on Saturday.

The Serbian and Tsitsipas appear to be playing at their personal best right now — neither player has even lost a set so far this week at the Open. But Friday saw an incessant rain pelt down on the red clay court, making footing extremely tricky.

The Greek phenom was tasked with trying to best his rival after his bitter loss to Djokovic in the 2020 French Open at Paris’ Roland Garros Stadium.

At the time, Tsitsipas told Reuters “I wish I could have figured certain things earlier which, I don’t know, I felt like it was a total demolition, the fact that I tried those things in practice and tried to implement them in the match.

“It was something new. I wish I wouldn’t have tried these things and tried to stay to my ordinary and basic way of feeling the ball and also trying to dictate the game.

“I think that was a huge mistake today, that I tried this for two sets in a row, then came back to my old way of doing things.”

Yesterday, Djokovic beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina by the brutal score of 6-2, 6-1 in Rome, while Tsitsipas dismissed Matteo Berrettini, 7-6 (3), 6-2.

Play was stopped, however, due to rain, with Djokovic at 3-4 in games in the first set.
Tsitsipas served at the resumption of play.

Tsitsipas continuing to improve his clay game

The 2020 French Open saw Djokovic and Tsitsipas duel it out in a marathon match with a score of 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1; won by Djokovic after a valiant fight by the young Greek.

Although he has sown in the past that he can indeed play on the clay, Tsitsipas has not favored that surface for the most part — until this year. So far in 2021, the Greek star has lost only to the masterful Rafael Nadal in Barcelona and clay specialist Casper Ruud in Madrid.

Despite Tsitsipas’ new clay prowess, showing his ability to cover the whole court, he was still considered the underdog in today’s match against Djokovic, with the Serbian listed as a -143 favorite according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

Tennis mavens believed Saturday’s showdown between the veteran and the challenger would amount to whether or not Djokovic can control the match and finish his points.

However, the preternaturally talented Greek phenom defended himself very well during their last match, garnering points in almost impossible situations.

This was the seventh time Djokovic has met the Greek player, with the Serbian leading the series 4-2 overall.

Comments

Μπέος: «Εύστοχα χαρακτηρίστηκε φτύσιμο στα μούτρα των μελών της ΕΕΑ»

Καρφιά προς την Επιτροπή Επαγγελματικού Αθλητισμού έριξε με δήλωσή του στα social media ο Αχιλλέας Μπέος. Με αφορμή την απόφαση του CAS για την υπόθεση ΠΑΟΚ-Ξάνθης, ο δήμαρχος Βόλου θυμήθηκε τις ενέργειες της επιτροπής στην περίπτωση του Ολυμπιακού Βόλου το 2011 όταν εκείνος ήταν ο ισχυρός άνδρας της ομάδας. Επίσης εξέφρασε την απορία του για το ότι κανείς μέχρι σήμερα δεν έχει υποβάλλει την παραίτησή του. Αναλυτικά όσα έγραψε ο Αχιλλέας Μπέος: «Η απόφαση του Διεθνούς Αθλητικού Δικαστηρίου (CAS) για την υπόθεση των ΠΑΟΚ–Ξάνθης, αναμφίβολα είναι ένα ηχηρό χαστούκι γι αυτό που στην Ελλάδα ονομάζουμε Επιτροπή Επαγγελματικού Αθλητισμού, που υποτίθεται αξιολογεί, κρίνει και αποφασίζει αντικειμενικά και με βάση το ισχύον Δίκαιο και στην πραγματικότητα αποδεικνύεται ένα εργαλείο άσκησης μικροπολιτικής και ικανοποίησης αθέμιτων επιθυμιών και επιδ...

The Fascinating History of Thessaloniki’s Iconic White Tower

The White Tower. Credit: ΣΟΛΑΚΙΔΗΣ ΣΩΤΗΡΙΟΣ /Wikimedia Commons/ CC BY-SA 4.0 Residents of Thessaloniki, Greece’s second largest city, often use its White Tower as a point of reference when giving directions in the beautiful seaside city. That’s because the tower is by far Thessaloniki’s most iconic monument. The ancient city, located in northern Greece, has a rich history stretching from antiquity to the modern era, but is most noted for its importance during the Byzantine period. During that time, Thessaloniki was a competitor with the great city of Constantinople in terms of its wealth and influence. The White Tower was a witness to many of the city’s most important historical events, and its role in Thessaloniki changed as did the ownership of the city itself throughout the millennia. Studying the history of the White Tower means learning the history of Thessaloniki. The Tower’s strategic location along the Thermaic Gulf made it perfect for guarding the city from thre...

Ten Unforgettable Things to Do Around Syntagma Square in Athens

Syntagma Square, Athens. Credit: Public Domain Syntagma Square has literally been the very heart of Athens ever since the city became the capital of the modern Greek state. With the Greek Parliament building and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier looming over it, it is rich with history and is the place where most major events of the last two centuries have taken place. Its name in Greek means “Constitution Square,” a name granted by Greece’s first modern royal, King Otto, on September 3, 1843, after an uprising of the people. This was a smart political move, since the royal palace overlooked the square. In 1934, the royal palace was turned over to the Greek Parliament, and ever since that time, Syntagma Square has been the place where all public protests and demonstrations have taken place. Syntagma Square home to historic demonstrations and protests In December of 1944, just after the departure of the occupying Nazi troops, a people’s rally at the square was marred b...

Inside the Magnificent Minoan Palace of Knossos in Crete

The Minoan palace at Knossos. Credit: Gary Bembridge /Wikimedia Commons/ CC-BY-2.0 The Palace of Knossos, located about five kilometers (three miles) south of Heraklion on Kephala hill, was the largest of all the Minoan palaces in Crete. It was also at the core of the highly sophisticated civilization that flourished on the island over 3,500 years ago. The discovery of the Minoan Palace of Knossos The discovery and subsequent excavation of the palace dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Before then, Knossos had only served as a place mentioned in Greek mythology. The first modern scholar to take a serious interest in the area was the German Heinrich Schliemann, who in 1870 had excavated the site believed to be Troy. Schliemann was certain that a major Minoan palace lay hidden near Heraklion, but the Ottoman authorities who still ruled the island at the time denied any permission to dig there. Years afterward, the British archaeologist Arthur Evans, inspired b...

Άποψη ΚΥΡ

Άποψη Κ Μητρόπουλου

Άποψη

Θεσσαλονίκη: Εκατοντάδες μερίδες φαγητού σε αστέγους από τοπική επιχείρηση εστίασης

Στη Θεσσαλονίκη, μια επιχείρηση εστίασης αποδεικνύει εμπράκτως τι σημαίνει ευαισθησία και κοινωνική ευθύνη. Πρόκειται για το εστιατόριο του Στέφανου Σαράτση που έχει αρχίσει αυτή την προσπάθεια τους τελευταίους δύσκολους μήνες. Συμπαραστάτες του γνωστοί και άγνωστοι πολίτες που βοηθούν όσο μπορούν.

Άποψη

The World’s Oldest Living Olive Tree is on Crete

The most ancient olive tree in the world, in Crete. Credit: Dimitra Damian/Greek Reporter The oldest olive tree in the world is located in the village of Ano Vouves of Kissamos in Chania, Crete. The ancient tree is 3000 years old, as determined by the international scientific community. The ancient olive tree in Vouves has a trunk with a circumference of 12.5 meters (41 feet), and a diameter of 4.6 meters (15 feet). It belongs to the local tree variety of tsounati, and was grafted at a height of 3 meters onto a wild olive tree. Because of the grafting, its trunk has been so beautifully shaped by nature that it resembles a sculpture. In 1990, after a unanimous decision in the prefecture of Chania, the Vouves Olive Tree was declared a Natural Monument of great importance due to its status as the world’s oldest tree of its kind. The oldest olive tree still produces high-quality olives The fruits of the ancient olive tree make the best olive oil in the world, making the area...

Qoutes

Search This Blog