The Greek racked up eight aces in nine service games but, more impressively, lost only four points on his first serve. Tsitsipas amassed an 86% success rate on that shot, leaving Ruud pretty helpless at the other end.
Tsitsipas also used the serve-and-volley tactic to great effect against the Norwegian, who was often well behind the baseline while returning. When asked about his aggressive serving approach against Ruud, Tsitsipas said that he is trying to be more “daring” with his tennis.
According to the Greek, experience is necessary to identify just how to play in certain situations.
Tsitsipas was quite demonstrative during his match against Ruud, especially in the second set. He celebrated numerous points with an energetic fist pump directed towards his box.
When asked to elaborate on his demeanor during the match, the 23-year-old began by saying that fist-pumps are his go-to celebration. Tsitsipas said he likes to feel an adrenaline rush after winning a point or playing a good rally.
The Greek reckons that one of tennis’ biggest selling points is having the freedom to express yourself after every point. He also insisted that it is important to release any pent-up tension.
“I’m happy where my game is right now” - Stefanos Tsitsipas
Stefanos Tsitsipas is a former runner-up at the Canadian Open, having finished second best to Rafael Nadal in 2018.
When asked to compare his run in 2018 to his showing this week, Tsitsipas pointed out that he is yet to make it to the summit clash this year.
The Greek has had a brutal draw in Toronto this time around, coming up against the likes of Ugo Humbert, Karen Khachanov, and Casper Ruud. Tsitsipas said he was delighted to have navigated his way past such tricky opponents.
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