Tennis

Roland Garros: Stefanos Tsitsipas remains on title course

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The 5th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas is safely through into the last 16 at Roland Garros for the fifth straight year. Stefanos met Diego Schwartzman on Court Suzanne-Lenglen and grabbed a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory in two hours and three minutes, playing well so far and remaining on the title course. The Greek served at 54%, but no one could notice that. He got broken once from five chances offered to his rival and kept the pressure on the other side. The struggling Argentine could not match that pace, losing over half of the points in his games and allowing Tsitsipas to secure six breaks from 18 chances! Stefanos had 34 winners and 26 unforced errors, taming his strokes nicely and destroying Diego in the most advanced rallies with nine strokes or more. The Greek forced the Argentine’s mistake in the encounter’s first game and repeated that in game two for three break chances. Tsitsipas landed a volley winner at the net on the second to secure a break and build an early advantage.

Stefanos Tsitsipas is through into the last 16 at Roland Garros. 

Schwartzman survived two break points in the fourth game before Tsitsipas held at love for 4-1. Diego netted a volley in the sixth game to fall 5-1 behind and pulled one break back a few minutes later with a perfect drop shot winner. Stefanos responded with his third break at 5-2 to wrap up the opener after 34 minutes. Schwartzman erased two break points in the second set’s second game and wasted a return chance in the next one. The lower-ranked player missed a backhand in the fifth game to experience three break points. He netted a forehand on the first to fall 4-2 behind. Stefanos clinched the seventh game with a drop shot winner and secured his fourth straight game at 5-2 to build a massive advantage after an hour and 11 minutes. Diego forced Stefanos’ mistake in the third set’s second game and denied a break point.

The Greek struggled in the third game, squandering game points and offering his rival three break chances. Tsitsipas saved them and held with an ace after 13 minutes! Controlling the pace with his forehand, Stefanos drew Diego’s mistake in the fourth game to seize the fourth break chance and open a 3-1 gap. The Greek fired a backhand down the line winner around the net in the fifth game to cement the break and extend the gap. Schwartmzna reduced the deficit to 4-2 before Tsitsipas seized the next one at 15 for 5-2. Stefanos painted a forehand down the line winner in the eighth game and created two match points. Diego saved them and held with a service winner to prolong the battle. Tsitsipas served for the victory at 5-3 and fell 30-0 behind. He bounced back and forced the rival’s mistake for a match point. The Greek sealed the deal with an ace down the T line, happy with his performance and hoping for more in the upcoming rounds. 

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