"It was a very well-balanced game, mentally" - Stefanos Tsitsipas after Olympics 2r win over Frances Tiafoe
Stefanos Tsitsipas breezed past America's Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4 in the third round at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. In the process, the Greek managed to avenge his shock defeat to Tiafoe at Wimbledon last month.
Speaking to the media after his comprehensive second-round win, Stefanos Tsitsipas highlighted the mental side of the match. The Greek also claimed he is always trying to "find solutions" and that he had "learned his lessons" from the defeat at SW19.
"I'm always trying to find to find solutions, find ways to fix my mistakes and get a better outcome - that was the case today," Tsitsipas said. "I was able to maintain the high levels of concentration and deliver good tennis in moments where I had to. It was a very well-balanced game, mentally."
The 22-year-old also spoke about playing under the closed roof in the Japanese capital. Rain forced most of the action on the outer courts on Tuesday to be delayed, but Centre Court - where Tsitsipas was playing - went on as scheduled since it has a roof.
The Greek revealed that he enjoyed the indoor conditions even though the court "felt quicker".
"There was [a different feel] yeah," Tsitsipas said. "I enjoyed playing under the closed roof. The court kind of felt quicker, but that didn’t stop me from playing the game I wanted to play."
After battling hard against Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber in the first round, Tsitsipas' straightforward win over Tiafoe would have done a lot of good for his confidence. He will now take on either France's Ugo Humbert or Serbia's Miomir Kecmanovic in the third round.
"It is a great honor to be able to represent the Greek colors in tennis" - Stefanos Tsitsipas
After seeing off Frances Tiafoe in straight sets, Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke about what it means to represent Greece at the Olympics for the first time. The 22-year-old claimed it was an honor to be in his position, and that he has enjoyed his stay in the Olympic village so far.
He also revealed that he has not set a goal for what he can achieve at the event this year.
"I like the organization, I like that we are all in one village (Olympic), it is my first experience at the Olympic Games, the atmosphere is unique," Tsitsipas told ERT News. "It is a great honor to be able to represent the Greek colors in tennis. So far I have not set a goal."
Stefanos Tsitsipas added that his discipline and perseverance on the day helped him maintain his level against the American.
"My dedication to the game was extremely high and it was what lifted my game and made me play good tennis today," he said.