Tsitsipas credits mindset for victory over Rublev

Wednesday, 18 November 2020 at 13:00

Stefanos Tsitsipas avoided an upset on Tuesday at the Nitto ATP Finals, as he saved a match point to defeat Andrey Rublev and secure his first group stage win.

The Greek star raced to a one set lead, but soon fell apart in the second set as Rublev regained his composure. The final set went down to a tiebreak, where the Russian obtained a match point. Making his debut at the season-ending event, Rublev succumbed to his nerves as he squandered the match point with a double fault. Tsitsipas then took control and escaped with a 6-1 4-6 7-6(6) victory.

"It was an unbelievable match from both sides. We produced some incredible tennis,” Tsitsipas said following his victory. “The relief at the very end of putting all that effort and all that fight on the court paid off. I am very happy that I showed determination and a willingness to not give up when he had match point. It came easier when he was up 6/5, but then I produced some really good tennis and that helped me take the win.”

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"Having the opportunity to play lots of matches like this, at such a high intensity, and always testing myself against these players gives me the opportunity to learn and grow,” Tsitsipas added. “It is a learning opportunity as well for today. Even though it was a win, I still feel like there is plenty to improve and get better at. I am sure being with that mindset, being willing to just put more and more effort into what I am doing and more sacrifices are going to pay off at the end.”

With the defending champion's victory, Dominic Thiem has secured qualification to the semifinals following his impressive win over Rafael Nadal earlier in the day. Tsitsipas will face Nadal on Thursday, with both men battling for the final semifinal berth from Group London 2020. Rublev has no chance of qualification after losing both of his matches, and will be playing for his first win when he faces Thiem in his final round robin match.

Click here for live scores and up-to-date results of the ATP Finals .

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Defending champ stayin’ alive! @StefTsitsipas survives a rollercoaster with Rublev 6-1 4-6 7-6(6) to set-up a showdown on Thursday with Nadal for the second semi-final spot in Group London 2020 #NittoATPFinals