Stefanos Tsitsipas exorcised the demons from his previous match to secure a spot in the last 16 of the Rome Masters by defeating Cameron Norrie.
The first set I did a great job in making him feel uncomfortable, at least that is what I felt from the other side of the court Stefanos Tsitsipas
The sixth seed, Tsitsipas, put on a commanding performance, overcoming the challenges that had plagued him in his previous match and emerging victorious against the British No.1 in straight sets, 6-2 7-6(1).
Tsitsipas secured a break in the third game with a fortuitous shot that created a break point opportunity, followed by an error from Norrie which gave him the lead.
The Greek star continued his dominance by securing another break as Norrie struggled to find his rhythm and cope with Tsitsipas’ dropshots.
Although Norrie started the second set well, he was always playing catch-up. Despite recovering a break in the fourth game, he ultimately fell short in the tiebreak, allowing Tsitsipas to advance to the fourth round after winning just one point.
Stefanos Tsitsipas raises his racket in victory
(Photo by Giampiero Sposito/Getty Images)
Reflecting on his victory, Tsitsipas mentioned, “My shots were landing deep in the court and creating a lot of angles. It is difficult for my opponent to control those shots and I think I did that in the first set. Precise, one might call it. The first set I did a great job in making him feel uncomfortable, at least that is what I felt from the other side of the court.”
Looking ahead to his next match against Alex de Minaur, Tsitsipas acknowledged the challenge the Australian poses and the adjustments he will need to make to secure another victory.
Meanwhile, Andre Rublev suffered a setback in his preparations for Roland Garros, losing to Alexander Muller after initially taking the lead in the match.
Daniil Medvedev was pushed hard by the Serb qualifier
(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Defending champion Daniil Medvedev faced a tough challenge from Serbian qualifier Hamad Medjedovic but ultimately prevailed in a tough three-set match.
Medvedev recognized his shortcomings in the match but managed to overcome the young qualifier to continue his title defense in Rome.
Tommy Paul will be Medvedev’s next opponent after defeating Dominik Koepfer in straight sets.
In other matches, Nicolas Jarry and Hubert Hurkacz also secured victories to advance to the next round in the Rome Masters tournament.