Stefanos Tsitsipas heaps praise on his and Dominic Thiem's backhands following Madrid Open clash
World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas praised his and Dominic Thiem's backhands following their 2023 Madrid Open second-round clash.
Tsitsipas completed a dramatic comeback against Thiem by winning a third-set tie-break on Saturday, April 29. After being one set down, the Greek used a flawless serving performance to change the tone of the match. He eventually beat the Austrian in three sets, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(5).
Following his victory, Tsitsipas stated in an on-court interview that he is pleased that he and his opponent gave their all and were able to produce the type of match that fans enjoy.
"Well, it was very physical, and I think we both played out best. You know, it’s definitely the kind of first-round match you come here to watch, so I’m in a way happy that we were able to show that kind of tennis," he said.
The 24-year-old then expressed admiration for his and Thiem's backhands, saying the match perfectly demonstrated the intensity that two players with one-handed backhands can bring to tennis.
"Everyone wants it easy, everyone wants it to come in the perfect way, but today showed what kind of intensity two guys that play single-handed backhand can bring tennis to, so I’m happy I got away with a win. Things weren’t easy at the very end, but I just kept fighting," he stated.
Discussing his performance, Tsitsipas said that while it was difficult for him to adjust at first, he gradually began to show confidence and find his rhythm.
"It took time to adjust, I won’t lie. But I just stayed calm. I had confidence in my tennis, and I knew that bit by bit I would be able to fight back, and my confidence showed in that second set where I was just serving very well, and started finding my rhythm on the returns," he said.
"The third set was just pure fight," he added. "He’s not someone who’s going to give up, and he hates even giving the slightest to you in terms of free points. So I knew I was dealing with something big."
"I think it's just pure relaxation and focus" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on making 39 straight first serves
Stefanos Tsitsipas served 39 consecutive first serves from late in the first set to early in the third, winning 88% (50/57) of his total first-serve points in the two-hour, 19-minute match.
When asked about it, the Greek attributed it to his fluidity, relaxation, and focus.
"That's fantastic, 39 is a lot. That shows that perhaps I improved today on my serve. That's a positive mark for me. I think I just owe it all to fluidity and just being relaxed on my serve. I think it's just pure relaxation and focus," Tsitsipas said.
Tsitsipas will next face Sebastian Baez in the third round.