You quite often see tears–for better or worse–upon the conclusion of a Grand Slam. Following a fourth-round match, however? Not so much.
But tears there were after Stan Wawrinka outlasted Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(6), 5-7, 6-4, 3-6, 8-6 in a five-hour and eight-minute slugfest on Sunday afternoon that determined a place in the French Open quarterfinals.
“I feel exhausted,” a distraught Tsitsipas said during his press conference, at which he struggled to answer any question with more than a few words. “I don’t know; never experienced something like this in my life. I feel very disappointed at the end.
“(It’s been a) long time that…long time since I cried after a match. So emotionally, (it) wasn’t easy to handle.”
The 20-year-old Greek was left ruing a smorgasbord of missed opportunities. He converted only five of 27 break-point chances, going 0-for-8 in the final set. While Wawrinka constantly found it difficult to hold serve throughout the decider, Tsitsipas held with ease time and time again.
That was until he toed the line at 6-7, serving to stay in the match for a third time. Wawrinka erred with a return on his first match point at 15-40, but he capitalized on the next one with a slicing, curving backhand passing shot that landed on the outside of the sideline for a dramatic clincher.
“Today we saw only one centimeter can change the winner,” the 34-year-old Swiss admitted. “I think he would have deserved as much as me to win the match today. It’s for sure a tough loss for him, but it was something that was big battle.
“I think I never experience that kind of atmosphere here in Paris on (Court Suzanne) Lenglen. Always had a lot of support, but I think today was really special, and the match was amazing–five hours…five sets. The crowd stayed all the match… I enjoyed (it) a lot. That’s the reason why I still play tennis, and that’s the reason why I’m practicing every day to try to win big matches like that.”
He’ll have another big one Tuesday–against none other than fellow Swiss Roger Federer.
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epic one
Tsitsipas has himself to blame for not taking his chances. I hope he learns from this loss – ups his intensity when he has a chance for a BP and converts it! He squandered so many BP chances! Also when he’s leading after breaking serve, please concentrates on holding his own serve in the next game! I mean how many times he broke Stan’s serve in set two and four I think, only to lose his own and allowed Stan to fight back. He’s wasting energy having to fight to regain the lead.
He said he was exhausted, to me he’s wasting energy having to fight back so often when he couldn’t hold on to the advantage after breaking serves!
This loss may be good for him, showing him that he’s not there yet; winning a slam is never easy, and sometimes you could lose with the slimmest margin. He has to stay focused throughout the whole match and seizes the opportunities when they come, and never let go of your service game easily.
I feel he’s letting his recent successes getting into his head, that he feels he’s right there with the top guys; well this is the second time that he lost at a slam feeling dejected – at AO he was hammered by Rafa and now he lost a match narrowly to Stan (who’s a former champion but is on the comeback trail and now ranked at no. 28); that showed him he’s not good enough to win a slam, not even close.
I hope he learns his lesson, that he has to work harder, plays smarter and not waste energy, and takes his chances when they come and not squanders them.
I love to see Stan doing well in the Slams, but was rooting for Tsitsi this time.
He nearly did it, but missed so many BP chances.Just like Fed dis a few years ago in an RG final..
Congrats on getting to the semi roger. Stan himself is not sure if he will recover ..
Do you say the same thing for Nishikori as well who has played two consecutive five-setters here and did not get a rest day even or are you another one of the hypocrites here.
Please don’t be judgemental and call others names. Yes Nishi is disadvantaged too is a fact.
But I am a Rafa fan and I don’t mind him getting advantages n anything easy n I hope his opponents get tougher matches..this is true for every fan of every player 🙂
If Rafa cannot beat Roger at the french open at this juncture after doing it for fun in Roger’s prime, he might as well retire🙄🙄
Well that match will be tricky. Rafa is not the player he was till 13. Fed has beaten him last 4 times. Fed is the underdog and will play freely. Rafa will be the one carrying pressure. Fed will be very fresh in semis having barely played n getting all easy matches.
But Rafa would also be fresh as he’s not really have to work too hard too!
This is 2019, not 2017. Fed didn’t have the results of 2017 either so why the worry? Rafa will grind Fed to go the distance on clay, Fed won’t have his ways on clay unlike on the HCs. Don’t forget, Fed needed five sets, almost lost it, to beat Rafa at the AO fast HC; his other wins were at BO3 HC matches.
Fed no doubt won his matches here quite comfortably but that’s because non of his opponents so far were in the top 50, and non had the tools to trouble him. Let him face a Goffin or a Dimi, maybe he would then lose a set, and he won’t be looking overly good.
However he is serving really well lucky and is is drop shoting a lot. Hope Rafa is taking note of those drop shots.
Rafa at this form is almost unbeatable, he handles Nole with bagel and breadstick in Rome. I foresee Fed would get something similar if he really reaches semi, doubt he would when Stan is on. Fed would win against player who does not like to play long rallies.
Rafa for the twelve RG, 3 more matches in 6 days time.
I feel if it’s Stan vs Rafa at the SF, it would be tougher for Rafa than say vs Fed. Stan is very fit physically, and his shots are so powerful and he could hit that way all day!
I won’t be surprised it may be Stan in the SF and Delpo in the final for Rafa should he get there. Both are power hitter and could hit that way throughout the whole match.
PS. Delpo if he’s not hampered, could beat Khachanov and then Thiem; he may not beat Djoko in the SF but who knows, somebody else may beat Djoko before that?
Djoko is not losing to foginini or zverev. Regards Thiem..he is dropping sets like it’s his hobby n he has dropped several notches below his Barcelona level . Thiem may not even make it to the semi frankly.
If Rafa has to win this..he has to go through djoko n maybe fed too as I have my doubts Stan will recover.he himself hopes he will n is not sure.
That’s why I said a healthy Delpo would reach the SF, beating Khachanov and Thiem along the way.
Whether Djoko would lose to anyone before the SF, we’ll see; he seemed bothered by the heat and was struggling to beat his Italian opponent in R3. Struff may get a set from Djoko, Foggy (most likely in the QF) may get a set too but who knows, any slip up in the heat, his opponent’s may take advantage.
I’ve doubt about Sasha but if he could beat Foggy to reach the QF, then he is playing well and may then make a match vs Djoko; after all, he knows how to beat Djoko on clay though not yet in BO5.
And… happy 33rd Birthday to dear Rafa! Hope you win the big trophy on this coming Sunday.
I see things differently from most of you, of course. I think Fed is playing wonderful tennis on clay this year. He has lost one match (on court, not counting the withdrawal to Tsitsipas), in which he held two match points, to Thiem who played probably his best match all year. If Fed serves as he has been and can hit his BH with authority, there is no doubt in my mind that he can beat Nadal here.
Will he? I don’t know (they both have to make it there), but if he can get through Stan without it turning into a 5 set marathon, he’ll have put himself in about the best position possible to do so. He’s fresh, he’s serving beautifully, and he’ll basically be playing with house money. I like his chances and would be absolutely amazed if Nadal were to win that match easily.
Whoa, so many conditions before saying he can beat Rafa here? His BH, his serve and he not having to play long match against Stan? We’ll see about that.
Yeah it should be similar to how Rafa looked against the field till he got to the final in Australia. But Roger may win if his forehand is clicking, backhand is on song, makes 100 percent first serves of which 80 percent hit the lines, converts every break point, saves every break point, wins at least ten points in the toe breaker, sun is at an angle of 53 degrees…
Tomm rain..Friday rain..Sunday rain..oh dear rafa