Stefanos Tsitsipas is out of the Australian Open. He lost to Taylor Fritz in the fourth round (6/7 7/5 3/6 3/6). He should get out of the top 10 for the first time since he joined the prestigious club in 2019.
The Greek had not lost before the semi-finals in Melbourne since 2019. This early defeat sets a bitter tone for Stefanos Tsitsipas’ 2024 season. He’ll have to react quickly if he wants to reach his full potential one day.
Two errors
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz needed a game each to get into their match. They both had to save early break points. Starting from the third game, servers ruled. The American hit the ball early to attack his opponent; last year’s runner-up made a bunch of sliced backhands to gain time. While the tenth player in the world was never worried during his games of serve, Stefanos Tsitsipas had a few scares. Unable to return his opponent’s first serves, the latter was under constant pressure. No opportunity occurred. It came down to a tiebreak.
The Greek made two unforced errors on his serve: a forehand in the ally and a backhand in the net. They were enough for Taylor Fritz to take the lead. The latter remained untouchable during his games of serve. He only lost one point after his first ball. To level the match, Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to find solutions on return.
One point
The second set continued in the same dynamic as the first one. Games passed by. Stefanos Tsitsipas kept on hitting sliced backhands that didn’t disturb Taylor Fritz at all. When he managed to hit them flat, the American was more destabilized. As the set went on, the Greek managed to return more of his opponent’s first serves. The 2022 Indian Wells’ champion dominated the rallies. His powerful and deep balls were too much for Stefanos Tsitsipas’ feverish backhand. The latter seemed out of solutions – until the tenth game. At 15-30 on his serve, the two-time Montecarlo champion won a tipping point. He dared to aim for the lines while Taylor Fritz remained on the defense. This rally revitalized the Greek. He robbed his opponent’s serve in the next game – and the set in the process.
The set came down to one point. A rally that might have seemed harmless, instilled a reaction of pride in Stefanos Tsitsipas. The psychological side of tennis was illustrated in a three-minute time frame: the Greek galvanized; Taylor Fritz frustrated.
Three double faults
A new match started at the beginning of the third set. Break points – that were practically nonexistent for the first one and a half hour of play – became common. Stefanos Tsitsipas offered his serve on a silver platter by doing four unforced errors in a row. He got his break back in the next game thanks to a rise to the net that went through Taylor Fritz’s defense. After this tricky start to the set, the American pulled himself together. He found back his magical first serve that kept his out of his opponent’s reach. The Greek needed more time to react. He made three double faults in the space of two games. Taylor Fritz took advantage of this feverishness. He hit a winning return after a shy second serve from Stefanos Tsitsipas. With a break on the scoreboard, the American freed his game while the public’s favorite became too defensive – once again. He let Taylor Fritz dominate the rallies. The latter led two sets to one.
The Greek got betrayed by his serve. While winning the second set should have helped him free his tennis, Stefanos Tsitsipas lost himself. Without the support of his first serve, a break only seemed like a question of time.
A win
The last set of the encounter had the same foundations as the first two ones. The servers’ authority was not contested. Rallies were scarce. Taylor Fritz’s first serves rarely came back on his side of the net. In a couple of shots, Stefanos Tsitsipas managed to make the difference. Dominated from the back of the court, he decided to come to the net. His attacks – which were not incisive enough – were sanctioned by backhands down the line from the American. What had to happen, happened. The 2021 French Open runner-up gave up his serve after another passing shot. One more from Taylor Fritz gave him the win.
As he was running after the score, Stefanos Tstsipas didn’t try hard enough to transform his game. Despite a burst of pride that allowed him to win the second set, he couldn’t do the same efforts on a regular basis. This heartbreaking loss in the country he considers his second home might be the jolt he needed. The 2024 season will have to be better than 2023. Soon, it might be too late.
Marnie Abbou
