Watch: Stefanos Tsitsipas' hilarious attempt at speaking Aussie slang after Australian Open 1R win
Stefanos Tsitsipas attempted to woo the Melbourne faithful following his Australian Open first-round win on Monday (January 16), making an earnest try at speaking the Aussie slang.
The third seed opened his bid for a maiden Grand Slam title with a confident straight-sets win over Frenchman Quentyn Halys. After dropping just seven games in the opening two sets, the three-time Australian Open semifinalist faced sterner resistance in the third.
However, after squandering a match point in the ensuing tiebreak, Tsitsipas overcame the first-round hurdle at the Australian Open for the fifth straight year. In his on-court interview, the 24-year-old described his match against Halys as a 'ripsnorter', a quintessential Australian slang for 'humdinger'. He said:
"Crikey, that was a ripsnorter mate! Really glad to be playing flat out, you know, like a lizard in the water."
Here's the video:
"Crikey that was a ripsnorter mate!" 😂
Never change, @steftsitsipas 😅
#AusOpen • #AO2023 https://t.co/YJ44JeC1i3
The 2021 Roland Garros finalist will next take on Rinky Hijikata on Wednesday for a place in the third round.
"The energy of the people can create a very good mental space" - Stefanos Tsitsipas on support at Australian Open
With his win over Halys, Stefanos Tsitsipas improved to 16-5 at the year's first Grand Slam, having made the semifinals in 2019, 2021 and 2022 (six appearances).
Tsitsipas has enjoyed solid support at Melbourne Park over the years, especially from fans unfurling Greek flags replicating a home-like atmosphere away from home.
S T E F A N O S 🇬🇷
@steftsitsipas overcomes Halys to make the second round for the fifth straight year.
#AusOpen • #AO2023 https://t.co/oTfHHeaOr8
The third seed duly acknowledged the same in his post-match press conference, saying:
"When I step out on the court, I get to see all the Greek flags in the stadium cheering for me. That's the closest thing it gets to having something at home. It's very helpful 'cause I know that I am out on the court doing my job, but I also have a crowd and a bunch of people out there cheering me up and giving me their energy when I'm performing and doing my thing."
The Greek No. 1 continued:
"There's no reason for me not to feel like it. I feel like everything is going my way. I feel like everything is looking very optimistic. The energy of the people can create a very good mental space."
Tsitsipas is now 5-0 on the season, winning all four matches at the inaugural United Cup earlier this month. Tsitsipas is in the top half of the draw with top seed Rafael Nadal, whom he's expected to meet in the last four if the seedings hold true.