The 500s remain a mystery to Stefanos Tsitsipas
Once again Stefanos Tsitsipas failed in a final of an ATP Tour 500 tournament in Rotterdam on Sunday. For the eighth time.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Feb 13, 2022, 10:47 pm
One thing was clear even before the final of the ATP Tour 500 tournament in Rotterdam: a series would have to come to an end. Either Félix Auger-Aliassime writes for the first time as a tournament winner - or Stefanos Tsitsipas wins a 500 event for the first time. Well: The 6: 4 and 6: 2 for Auger-Aliassime was clear according to the course of the game, Tsitsipas has to wait. Basically, because the Greek won the last championship in spring 2021 in Lyon. But also very special in this tournament category. Because the bankruptcy against Auger-Aliassime was the ninth in a 500 final.
Tsitsipas was close last year: First of all in Acapulco, where he finally lost 4: 6 and 6: 7 (3) to Alexander Zverev in a balanced final match. It was even tighter in Barcelona. Tsitsipas had Rafael Nadal on the verge of defeat on the court named after him, but ultimately lost 4: 6, 7: 6 (6) and 5: 7.
Defeats against Djokovic and Federer
It was similarly close in 2020 in the Hamburg final, which Andrey Rublev won 7-5 in the third set against Tsitsipas. Stefanos Tsitsipas, on the other hand, had no chance against Novak Djokovic in Dubai at the beginning of the season.
In 2019, Tsitsipas lost out in the final in Beijing against Dominic Thiem, and this match was also lost in three sets. A few months earlier in Dubai, the same picture as a year later, when Roger Federer was too strong on his way to his 100th tournament victory. Apropos: Tsitsipas had to take the clearest bankruptcy in a 500 final at his premiere: in 2018 he went down in Barcelona against Nadal 2: 6 and 1: 6.
However: Tsitsipas has already had success in the two next higher categories: in 2021 in Monte Carlo at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament, at the end of 2019 also at the ATP Finals. The latter are the only event with a maximum of 1,500 points,