Tsitsipas, Stefanos

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      Tsitsipas Is the Latest to Come Close, and Learn How Far He Must Go

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      Stefanos Tsitsipas took a two-set lead over Novak Djokovic in the French Open men’s final. But in his loss he found that “two sets doesn’t really mean anything.”PARIS — The atmosphere seemed as if it was designed to make a Greek feel at home in his first Grand Slam singles final.Greece’s azure-and-white flags were draped over seats in the French Open’s main Philippe Chatrier Court. The fans, most of them French, were chanting Stefanos Tsitsipas’s surname and often cheering Novak Djokovic’s errors. And then there was the weather: sun-kissed with a slight breeze and a pale blue sky.Santorini? Roland Paros?But no matter how much it might have felt like a title was meant to be for Tsitsipas on Sunday as he jumped out to a two-set lead, it was all a false promise and yet another chance for the world’s clear No. 1 player to demonstrate his resilience and poise under pressure.Tsitsipas fans could be heard throughout the Paris crowd.Pete Kiehart for The New York Times“He gave me no space,” Tsitsipas said of the final three sets, looking understandably crestfallen but also a bit befuddled.Djokovic is the champion who has beaten Roger Federer on three separate occasions in Grand Slam tournaments after saving two match points, including the 2019 Wimbledon final.Djokovic is the man who prevailed against Rafael Nadal in a grinding 2012 Australian Open final that lasted nearly six hours; the man who stopped Nadal on Friday in a heavyweight bout of a semifinal at the tournament Nadal has won a preposterous 13 times.The truth is, the opponent does not have Djokovic where he wants him in a major tournament until he has the big trophy in his hands. Tsitsipas, like so many players before him, had to settle for the smaller prize. He was asked what he had learned from the defeat.“Two sets doesn’t really mean anything,” Tsitsipas concluded.The best-of-five format, which is only in use for men’s singles at the four Grand Slam tournaments, remains a major roadblock to the younger set in their pursuit of winning titles over the Big Three. Long form gives Djokovic more time to untie tactical knots; more time to impose his groundstrokes and great returns; more time to create doubt and stress in the minds of his less experienced opponents.Tsitsipas and Djokovic during the trophy ceremony.Pete Kiehart for The New York TimesDominic Thiem broke the long run of the Big Three — Djokovic, 34; Nadal, 35; and Federer, 39 — by winning last year’s U.S. Open, but he did not have to defeat any of them along the way. Nadal skipped the event over virus concerns, and Federer was recovering from knee surgery. Djokovic eliminated himself in the fourth round by smacking a ball that inadvertently hit a lineswoman in the throat, resulting in his ejection.But Thiem has faded, struggling mentally with the tour’s pandemic-related restrictions and straining to retain his drive and excellence. He has been touchingly open about his doubts, but his slump also makes you marvel at the drive and sustained focus of a player like Djokovic, who has had plenty of pandemic concerns of his own and actually tested positive for the coronavirus. Djokovic had his own fade from late 2016 to early 2018, but he has come back at full roar and full stretch. (Nobody can stretch the way Djokovic does.) The younger generation, however talented, has yet to break through and win the titles that matter most against the players who matter most.Tsitsipas, a 22-year-old seeded fifth in this tournament, spent several minutes in his chair after match point, his face hidden by a towel. But defeat was not the saddest part of his day. In a social media post after the match, he revealed that his “very beloved” paternal grandmother had died just five minutes before he walked on court. It was unclear whether he was aware of her death at the time. “Lifting trophies and celebrating wins is something, but not everything,” he wrote on Instagram.That is undeniable, but Tsitsipas does seem to have Grand Slam titles in his future. He possesses the ambition and the tools: a big bang of a forehand, a forceful and varied serve, a one-handed backhand that he can drive effectively from higher contact points or slice to change the pace of points and defend in the corners. He also has above-average volleys that he could have put to more frequent use on Sunday, no matter how daunting it is to face Djokovic’s passing shots.Tsitsipas, the son of a Russian mother and Greek father, is a great athlete, not just a great tennis player. He is quick on the move with improving core strength and with a hairstyle and rolling walk that recall Bjorn Borg, the great Swedish champion who, now 65, awarded the trophies on Sunday looking as cool as ever. (He skipped the socks with the loafers.)Tsitsipas during his five-set loss to Djokovic.Pete Kiehart for The New York TimesBut though Borg faced plenty of greatness in John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl and Jimmy Connors, he never had to deal with the combined firepower and long-running excellence of Djokovic, Federer and Nadal.Djokovic is on course to be the most statistically successful of the Big Three and already holds the men’s record for total weeks at No. 1. He will reach 325 weeks on Monday, and for now, the most gifted youngsters — Tsitsipas, Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti — can only look up and wonder if they truly have what it takes.As a group, they can take some solace in knowing that two of them were up, two sets to none, on Djokovic at Roland Garros. Musetti, a 19-year-old Italian, took his lead in the fourth round before running out of steam and straight into Djokovic’s staying power. Musetti won just one more game, but Tsitsipas had enough left to make the fifth set interesting.“Despite my loss today, I have faith in my game,” Tsitsipas said. “I very much believe I can get to that point very soon. I was close today. Every opponent is difficult. There’s a small difference between the player I played today and the ones from before. But I think with the same attitude and if I don’t downgrade myself, I see no reason for me not to be holding that trophy one day.”For now, such trophies still belong to the elders, no matter how loud the cheers or how reassuring the weather. More

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      In Making the French Open Final, Djokovic Edges Closer to His Rivals

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      Novak Djokovic defeated Rafael Nadal in four fierce sets and will try to win his 19th Grand Slam title against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday. PARIS — This golden age of men’s tennis got a little shinier on Friday night. It is harder to deepen the impression at this advanced stage: after all the comebacks, marathon duels and winners under pressure over nearly 20 years of close character study. But Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, in their 58th meeting, still found something inside themselves that spoke to their public, which was allowed the privilege of staying in their seats past the 11 p.m. curfew by the French authorities.It was the right move on many levels. It might have prevented a riot, but above all it was welcome because clearing the main Philippe Chatrier Court would have stopped the flow of a great match that was transcendent in part because of the force of its tidal shifts.The third set was the best example, and one of the most compelling sets to be played at Roland Garros: 91 minutes of grit and pure talent reflected in both grinding rallies and bold swipes of the racket from all sorts of compromised positions. No two tennis players have been better at turning defense into offense, and no two men have played each other more often in singles in the Open era.It was 5-0 Nadal after five games, but Djokovic worked his way back with deep focus, channeling his intensity. There were no screams on Friday night like the one he produced after beating Matteo Berrettini on this same court on Wednesday in another late night match.As against Federer in the 2019 Wimbledon final, Djokovic seemed to grasp that he did not have mental energy to squander. He prevailed on Friday because he was the steadier flame down the stretch and the more devastating returner.Nadal won no fewer than 73 percent of his first-serve points against his first five opponents in Paris this year. He won 59 percent against Djokovic. Nadal faced 22 break points combined in his first five matches. He faced 22 break points in one night against Djokovic, who can absorb pace and read service directions like no other.After his brilliant 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory, Djokovic has a chance to win his 19th Grand Slam singles title on Sunday.Nadal and Roger Federer are tied for the career men’s lead at 20 and might remain forever tied. But Djokovic is closing and, as he proved again on Friday night, he remains capable of beating the men on their surfaces of choice.He also holds the career edge over both: 27-23 over Federer and 30-28 over Nadal who could have reeled him back in with a victory.Nadal reacted after his loss on Friday.Pete Kiehart for The New York TimesDjokovic is now the only man to have beaten Nadal twice in Roland Garros, with the first victory coming in the 2015 quarterfinals when Nadal was in a rare funk.But Djokovic’s achievement this year is more impressive when you consider that Nadal had beaten him five times in a row on clay, including last year’s straight-set romp in the French Open final and last month’s Italian Open final.Though the mood leaned toward superlatives on Friday night, they have played consistently high quality matches against each other (the 2018 Wimbledon semifinal) and longer matches (the 2012 Australian Open final).Nadal had moments of greatness in this semifinal, but was not routinely great, missing backhands by the bunch and losing his way in the crucial third-set tiebreaker with a double fault and a rare missed forehand volley into an open court.“These kind of mistakes can happen, but if you want to win, you can’t make these mistakes,” Nadal said with typical clarity and humility.Certainly not against a champion of Djokovic’s caliber. The crowd, limited to 5,000, sensed the vulnerability and urged Nadal on. It was a sign of how his relationship has deepened with the Roland Garros public. When he lost to Robin Soderling in 2009, he was wounded by the crowd’s hostility. But he has earned their respect and some of their allegiance with his point-by-point commitment. Djokovic had his share of support as well, but to get to 19, he still has one more hurdle, and though he will be a favorite in the final, the 5th-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas should not be underestimated.Tsitsipas, a hirsute Greek with a one-handed backhand and an all-court game, has beaten Djokovic twice already on Djokovic’s favorite surface: outdoor hardcourts. Tsitsipas is prepared for this late stage in a major, and his purposeful walk between points is a hint at his inner drive and aggressive instincts. He can win points in all manner of ways, but his best chance against Djokovic may reside in pushing forward.They played in the semifinals of last year’s outlier of a French Open, staged in October after the French Tennis Federation shifted the dates because of the pandemic. Djokovic won the first two sets, but Tsitsipas rallied to force a fifth set and then ran out of steam more than belief, losing 6-1.Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrated his semifinal victory on Friday.Pete Kiehart for The New York TimesThat is the challenge against Djokovic. He has the endurance and resilience under pressure to take your best shots, find solutions and impose his will in long Grand Slam matches. While it is tempting to think that Djokovic might be diminished by Friday’s 4 hour 11 minute effort, he already has proved that he can bounce back.“It’s not the first time I play an epic semifinal in a Grand Slam and then I have to come back in less than 48 hours and play the final,” he said.He has until late Sunday afternoon, and it bears remembering that Tsitsipas played a taxing five set semifinal on Friday as he held off Alexander Zverev.“It’s time for me to show that I’m capable,” Tsitsipas said of Djokovic.The Big Three have formed an unprecedented roadblock to the younger set, disrupting the normal cycle of men’s tennis. Federer is now an outsider at 39 but still a contender on quick courts like Wimbledon and is already back on the grass in Halle, Germany. Nadal just turned 35, and Djokovic recently turned 34.The majors, not the No. 1 ranking, are his clear focus and after beating Nadal in Paris, thoughts of a Grand Slam are hardly out of the question. Djokovic once held all four major titles, but neither he nor Federer nor Nadal has completed a Grand Slam by winning all four major singles titles in the same calendar year. No man has achieved it since Rod Laver in 1969.No matter how much it felt like a final, it was only the last step to the final, and now Djokovic will try to win his second French Open after beating the man who has won an improbable 13. More

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      Stefanos Tsitsipas Beats Zverev to Reach French Open Final

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      Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 22-year-old rising star from Greece, will play in his first Grand Slam final Sunday.Tsitsipas survived five-sets of testosterone-fueled tennis Friday, staving off a stirring comeback from Alexander Zverev of Germany Friday, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3 in the first men’s semifinal. He will play the winner of the heavyweight matchup between Rafael Nadal, the 13-time French Open champion, and Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1.Tsitsipas, a passionate player and person who makes films in his spare time, fought back tears in an interview on the court after the match. “All I can think of is my roots where I came from a small place outside Athens, my dream was to play here,” he said. He is the first Greek player to make a Grand Slam final.Tsitsipas has now beaten two players ranked in the top six to reach the final and has dropped just a single set in six matches.Tsitsipas was in control from the beginning of match, breaking Zverev in his first service game and cruising for an early lead. Zverev, 24, a lanky and powerful player who has made the semifinal round in four of the past five Grand Slams, stepped up in the second set, surging to a 3-1 lead, only for Tsitsipas to raise his game even higher.With Zverev searching for tight angles, Tsitsipas chased down every shot. And when he reached the balls, he showed off every ounce of creativity.He has the power to exert intense pressure on an opponent, a sneaky backhand drop shot, and at 6-foot-4, an intimidating net game. Exerting all three at once, he reeled off five straight games to take the second set as Zverev got sloppy, spraying his strokes wide and long. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Sunday

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      Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Serena Williams lead the charge as the round of 16 begins at Roland Garros.How to watch: 5 a.m. to noon Eastern time on the Tennis Channel, noon to 2 p.m. on NBC and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Peacock; streaming on the Tennis Channel+ and Peacock apps.Both singles draws at the French Open have narrowed to just 16 competitors from 256 in the course of the past week. There are a few inspiring debutantes making their first appearance in the second week of a Grand Slam tournament, such as Tamara Zidanšek and Federico Delbonis. Although it is possible for them to push on, there are many former champions standing in their way.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Court Suzanne-Lenglen | 9 a.m.Daniil Medvedev vs. Cristian GarinBefore this year, Daniil Medvedev, the second seed, has never been past the first round at Roland Garros. Even this year, his clay court season had not gone well, with the 25-year-old Russian exclaiming in the middle of a match that he didn’t “want to play here on this surface.” Now, into the round of 16, Medvedev is starting to see results by leaning on his natural abilities and not becoming discouraged by the slights that the clay courts throw his way.Cristian Garin, the 22nd seed, will provide a much sterner challenge for the Russian. Garin is a clay court specialist, winning the Junior French Open in 2013. All five of his ATP titles have come at clay court events over the past couple of years. This will be his first round of 16 appearance at a major tournament, and although he has dropped sets in each of his first three rounds, they have been quintessential “dirt rat” matches, with long grueling points that played into Garin’s overall strategy. If he can push points in that direction throughout the match against Medvedev, Garin will certainly have a chance to make his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.Victoria Azarenka hitting a backhand during her third round match.Yoan Valat/EPA, via ShutterstockCourt PhiliPpe-Chatrier | 7 a.m.Victoria Azarenka vs. Anastasia PavlyuchenkovaVictoria Azarenka, the 15th seed, missed six Grand Slam events between 2016 and 2018 because of various personal issues, and she spent several years trying to find the same abilities that led her to two Grand Slam titles earlier in her career. After a finals appearance at the U.S. Open in 2020, it seemed that she was prepared to contend once again. But, with early exits at the 2020 French Open and 2021 Australian Open, it wasn’t clear whether or not Azarenka’s performance in Flushing Meadows was a fluke. Seemingly not; Azarenka has not dropped a set at Roland Garros on her way to the round of 16, and she is playing some of her best tennis of the year as she focuses on the second week of play.Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, the 31st seed, upset Aryna Sabalenka, the highest rated player left through the third round, on Friday in three sets. Pavlyuchenkova, who won two Junior Grand Slam tournament titles, has never been past the quarterfinals of a major event on the WTA Tour in a career marked by inconsistent performances. After a run to the semifinals at the Madrid Open in May, Pavlyuchenkova will feel that she is in good form, and that she is capable of finally making that big push. While her flat baseline shots are not well suited to clay, if she can power through and move Azarenka around the court, there are plenty of opportunities for an upset.Court Suzanne-Lenglen | NoonAlejandro Davidovich Fokina vs. Federico DelbonisOn Friday, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upset the 15th seed, Casper Ruud, in a grueling five-set match that grew more intense with each passing minute. Even after four-and-a-half hours of play, Fokina was still constructing aggressive and precise points as he strove to reach his first Grand Slam round of 16. Now, after two five-set matches in consecutive rounds, Fokina’s endurance will be put to the test as he looks to better Federico Delbonis.Delbonis, ranked No. 51, upset the 27th seed, Fabio Fognini, in straight sets on Friday. The 30-year-old Argentine has never been past the second round of the French Open, but all four of his career ATP finals have been on clay. Delbonis does not fit the archetypal profile of a clay court specialist; he is 6-foot-4, with a two-handed backhand that he can hit down and flatten out with ease. Delbonis will look to use his powerful shots and experience to run Fokina ragged and push through to the quarterfinals.Serena Williams in action during her third round match on Friday.Benoit Tessier/ReutersCourt PhilipPe-Chatrier | NoonSerena Williams vs Elena RybakinaThere were concerns throughout the clay court swing that Serena Williams was not prepared for the French Open. Williams, the seventh seed, has slowly played herself into form over the past week, delivering a sensational straight-set performance against her fellow American, Danielle Collins, on Friday. Now Williams is the only top 10 player remaining in her half of the draw, with a much clearer path to the final next week. However, the WTA Tour has a deep bench of talented youngsters looking to make champions of the past fade away.Elena Rybakina, the 21st seed, has not dropped a set so far at this year’s French Open. The 21-year-old reached five WTA Tour finals in 2020, a tour best for the year, but she has not been able to recreate that success so far in 2021. With a career best run to the round of 16, she has made up for it, and now will need to summon her considerable power on both wings to try and unseat Williams and reach her first major quarterfinal.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Tamara Zidanšek vs. Sorana Cîrstea; Court Suzanne-Lenglen, 5 a.m.Paula Badosa vs. Marketa Vondroušová; Court Suzanne-Lenglen, 7 a.m.Elise Mertens/Hsieh Su-wei vs. Iga Swiatek/Bethanie Mattek-Sands; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 7 a.m.Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Pablo Correno Busta; Court Philippe-Chatrier, 9 a.m.Alexander Zverev vs. Kei Nishikori; Court Philippe-Chatrier, 3 p.m. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Friday

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      Serena Williams, John Isner and Victoria Azarenka will play on Court Philippe-Chatrier as the third round of the French Open begins.How to watch: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time on Tennis Channel; streaming on Tennis Channel+ and the Peacock app.The third round of the French Open begins on Friday, and 12 Americans will play singles matches in the next two days. John Isner and Reilly Opelka, who are seeded, will be looking to fix a recent issue: There are no American men ranked in the top 30 for the first time in more than 50 years. There are no such issues on the women’s side, with Sofia Kenin and Serena Williams in the top 10 and five more Americans behind them in the top 30.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Court Philippe-Chatrier | 6 a.m.Victoria Azarenka vs. Madison KeysVictoria Azarenka of Belarus, the 15th seed, reached the semifinals of the French Open in 2013, but has not been past the third round since. In the past year, she reached the U.S. Open final, but was also knocked out in the first round of the Australian Open. After injuring her back at the Madrid Open in early May, it was unclear whether Azarenka, 31, would be able to play at Roland Garros. So far, Azarenka, a former world No. 1, has performed well, but she will be facing a formidable opponent in the third round.Madison Keys of the United States, the 23rd seed, has also struggled in 2021, not winning consecutive matches until this week at the French Open. Keys, 26, reached the semifinals in 2018 and the quarterfinals in 2019, but lost in the first round last year. Both players are hard-hitting baseliners. It should be an electric match.Court Philippe-Chatrier | 10 a.m.Serena Williams vs. Danielle CollinsSerena Williams celebrated after winning a long point in a tough match against Mihaela Buzarnescu in the second round on Wednesday.Pete Kiehart for The New York TimesSerena Williams, the seventh seed, showed signs of vulnerability in the second round against Mihaela Buzarnescu of Romania. After losing the second set, Williams, 39, limited her errors and ended up storming through the third set, 6-1, with a dominant performance returning serves. After some early-round exits during the clay-court swing, Williams must take every challenge seriously.Danielle Collins, an American ranked No. 50, swept past Anhelina Kalinina in the second round, losing only two games. Collins, who had surgery for endometriosis in the spring, did not play a tournament on clay in preparation for the French Open, but she has shown match fitness in the first two rounds. Collins, 27, will be a troublesome opponent for Williams. When the two met on hardcourts in January, Williams barely won in a third-set tiebreaker. Now, on a less favorable surface, there is the potential for an upset.Court Philippe-Chatrier | 3 p.m.Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. John IsnerJohn Isner has a booming serve, but his ground game will be tested in the third round.Clive Brunskill/Getty ImagesJohn Isner, the 31st seed, does not have a game that would traditionally favor clay. Isner, a 6-foot-10 American, has a booming serve that favors him on hardcourts and grass, but he has worked in recent years to improve his ground game. This helped him as he broke his second-round opponent, Filip Krajinovic, three times in the second set. Now, Isner’s ground game will be tested to its limit as he looks for an upset.Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, the fifth seed, has had a strong clay-court season, winning the Monte Carlo Masters and the Lyon Open and reaching the final of the Barcelona Open. Tsitsipas, 22, swept through the first two rounds of the French Open without dropping a set, and is a favorite to reach the final from his half of the draw. On Friday, he will have to find a way to adjust to Isner’s strong serve. If he can settle in on return games and get some early breaks, he should be able to control the flow of the match.Court 14 | 5 a.m.Casper Ruud vs. Alejandro Davidovich FokinaCasper Ruud, the 15th seed, has spent the last few years knocking down national records that were once held by his father, Christian. This time, he will look to be the first Norwegian player to reach the round of 16 at more than one Grand Slam event after doing so for the first time at the Australian Open this year. Ruud picked up his second ATP title, and his second on clay, in Geneva last week.Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, ranked No. 46, struggled in a five-set match against Botic van de Zandschulp in the second round. The match lasted 3 hours 42 minutes, with far more errors than winners coming from both players as they attempted to grind out long points and exhaust each other. It will be a challenge for Fokina, 21, to recover in time.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Aryna Sabalenka vs. Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 5 a.m.Pablo Carreño Busta vs. Steve Johnson; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 10 a.m.Daniil Medvedev vs. Reilly Opelka; Suzanne Lenglen Court, 10 a.m.Paula Badosa vs. Ana Bogdan; Court Simonne-Mathieu, noon. More

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      2021 French Open: What to Watch on Tuesday

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      Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty start their French Open campaigns on the final day of first-round matches.How to watch: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern time on the Tennis Channel; streaming on the Tennis Channel+ app.As the first-round matches stretch into a third day of play at Stade Roland Garros, there are two women who can claim defense of the French Open title. Iga Swiatek, the 2020 champion, won her first-round match on Monday. On Tuesday, we turn our attention to Ashleigh Barty, the 2019 champion, who did not play at the French Open or United States Open last year, citing pandemic health concerns. Today, Barty will return to Court Phillipe-Chatrier to face Bernarda Pera, ranked No. 70.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.Because of the number of matches cycling through courts, the times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Court PHILIPPE-CHATRIER | 3 p.m. TuesdayNovak Djokovic vs. Tennys SandgrenTennys Sandgren made a joke on Twitter after the French Open draw was revealed that was a self-aware assessment of his slim chances, given he has only won one of his six clay court matches this year.Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1, has also assessed his chances of winning the French Open in clear terms. He sees only one player as his main challenge: Rafael Nadal. He lost to Nadal in three sets in the final of the Italian Open, so if they were to meet in the semifinals in Paris, the five-set format could favor Djokovic’s fitness. While there are plenty of opponents to mind before then, it’s unlikely that Sandgren will last long in the bullring with Djokovic, the Australian Open and Wimbledon defending champion.Court PHILIPPE-CHATRIER | 10 a.m. TuesdayRafael Nadal vs. Alexei PopyrinAlexei Popyrin, ranked No. 63, secured his first ATP title in February at the Singapore Open. The lanky 21-year-old’s game is more suited to hard courts, but Popyrin reached the third round at the Madrid Open on clay. Unfortunately, he then ran into Rafael Nadal, who summarily knocked him out.Nadal has won the French Open 13 times, and is the four-time defending champion at Roland Garros. The undisputed “King of Clay” won the Barcelona Open and Italian Open this year, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic in the finals. Although Nadal has not looked as usually dominant in the clay court tournaments, he demonstrated that he can still make up for shortcomings with tenacity. It is an almost foregone conclusion that he will advance to the next round on his way to a deep run.COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN| 1 p.m. TuesdayKarolina Pliskova vs. Donna VekicKarolina Pliskova, the ninth seed, has struggled with her form over the past few years. Although she is an exceptional ball striker, her movement on court has declined. Pliskova added the renowned coach Sascha Bajin to her team in 2020, but so far, any improvement has been met with a counterbalance. At the Italian Open, she reached the final only to be swept by Iga Swiatek.Donna Vekic, ranked No. 36, did not played any clay tournaments in preparation for Roland Garros as she recovered from knee surgery after the Australian Open in February. Vekic reached the round of 16 in Melbourne, and has the ability to make a similar run in Paris, but without match fitness, it will be difficult to chase after Pliskova’s flat, powerful shots.Venus Williams has won seven Grand Slam tournaments but struggles on red clay.Juanjo Martin/EPA, via ShutterstockCourt 14 | 10 a.m. TuesdayVenus Williams vs. Ekaterina AlexandrovaEkaterina Alexandrova, the 32nd seed, won her first WTA title in 2020, but has yet to break through to the second week of a Grand Slam event. Alexandrova has reached the third round of the French Open for the past two years, and if all goes as expected she will meet the fifth seed, Elina Svitolina, there once again this year.Venus Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, has always struggled the most on red clay. Williams captured her first major title on grass at Wimbledon in 2000, before the defending champion of the French Open, Iga Swiatek, was born. This year, Williams has only won one match, but continues fighting for victories that seem only slightly out of reach.Here are a few more matches to keep an eye on.Ons Jabeur vs. Yulia Putintseva; Court 8, 5 a.m. TuesdayAshleigh Barty vs. Bernarda Pera; Court Phillipe-Chatrier, 8 a.m. TuesdayFelix Auger-Aliassime vs. Andrea Seppi; Court 13, 8 a.m. TuesdaySloane Stephens vs. Carla Suárez Navarro; Court Simonne-Mathieu, 1 p.m. Tuesday More

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      2021 Australian Open: Medvedev and Tsitsipas Chase a Grand Slam Final

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Australian OpenOsaka Ousts WilliamsNadal Is UpsetMedvedev-Tsitsipas PreviewWilliams’s CatsuitAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main story2021 Australian Open: Medvedev and Tsitsipas Chase a Grand Slam FinalMedvedev has been on a hot streak and has a 5-1 record against Tsitsipas, but he dealt with cramping at the end of his previous match.Daniil Medvedev has a 5-1 record against Stefanos Tsitsipas.Credit…David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesFeb. 18, 2021Updated 9:56 a.m. ETHow to watch: The match is at 3:30 a.m. Eastern time on Friday on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+.The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam event that splits its semifinals from the same singles draw, putting its second men’s singles semifinal alone on the Friday night session each year. It is the only time that a match other than a final gets such a showcase in the Grand Slam calendar, and this time the spotlight will be on two young stars: the fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev, a 25-year-old Russian, and the fifth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas, a 22-year-old Greek.Here’s what to look for in the highest-stakes match yet between two men of their generation as each vies for a spot in his first Australian Open final against Novak Djokovic, the world No. 1 ranking who has won the last two titles in Melbourne. Djokovic moved into the final on Thursday night by defeating Aslan Karatsev in their semifinal, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.Medvedev is on a hot streak.There is no men’s player in better form than Daniil Medvedev. He won titles at the Paris Indoors Masters and ATP finals last November and the ATP Cup earlier this month in Melbourne. He has won 19 consecutive matches on that run, 11 of which were against top-10 opponents.Medvedev looked especially formidable against Andrey Rublev of Russia in the quarterfinals. Rublev, 23, the seventh seed, is an unrelentingly aggressive player who won a tour-leading five titles last year, but he struggled to find any openings in Medvedev’s resolute defenses, and wilted in the heat in a straight-sets loss.Medvedev’s 19-match winning streak includes 11 victories against top-10 opponents.Credit…James Ross/EPA, via ShutterstockMedvedev also will be comfortable in the matchup against Tsitsipas, having won five of their six matches. He lost their most recent meeting, however, with Tsitsipas prevailing in the round-robin stages of the 2019 ATP finals en route to his most prestigious title to date.“He just plays extremely smart and outplays you,” Tsitsipas said of Medvedev on Thursday. “He’s somebody I really need to be careful with and just take my chances and press.”The end of their first match ‘felt like an M.M.A. fight.’The rivalry between Medvedev and Tsitsipas started before either had even cracked the top 40 of the ATP rankings. Their first match against each other, in the first round of the 2018 Miami Open, ended with Medvedev antagonizing Tsitsipas and challenging him to a fight after winning in three sets.In an interview last month, Tsitsipas discussed the altercation.“That felt very wrong, the overall ambience,” Tsitsipas said. “It didn’t belong to tennis, for sure, I tell you that. It felt like an M.M.A. fight. We’re out there playing tennis; we’re not there to fight each other. He was provoking me back then — that’s how I felt, maybe I’m wrong — but I didn’t want to continue from there. He was trying to approach me; I was not into it. I wasn’t there to fight, I was there to play tennis. That’s the last thing that I want when I enter the court.”Tsitsipas said that he had not discussed the incident with Medvedev, but that the tension between the two had recently thawed.“I saw him waving at me the other day, which was nice,” Tsitsipas said with a small laugh. “It kind of breaks the ice.”Tsitsipas’s walkover doesn’t necessarily mean he is well rested.Tsitsipas has played two five-set matches in the tournament. He has been on the court for an hour and 32 minutes longer than Medvedev.Credit…David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesDespite advancing via a walkover in the fourth round, Tsitsipas has been on the court an hour and 32 minutes longer than Medvedev has en route to the semifinals after playing five-set matches in the second round against Thanasi Kokkinakis and in the quarterfinals against Rafael Nadal.“I got the opportunity to play longer, feel the court, understand the environment that I’m in, so that could probably be seen as something positive,” Tsitsipas said after his win over Nadal. “On the other hand, yeah, OK, I might have spent a bit more time on the court, put my body in more stress and difficult tasks to complete.”Tsitsipas added that over all he felt he was in pretty good condition.“I think with experience I have realized how to preserve my energy and when I really have to put in the hard work in the match,” he said.Medvedev has been more efficient, but was cramping at the end of his straight-sets win over Rublev on Wednesday. He asked for the trainer to come massage his quadriceps after match point.How would either match up against Djokovic in the final?While both players would be underdogs against Djokovic, who is 8-0 in Australian Open finals, Medvedev and Tsitsipas have reason to believe they could be competitive.Medvedev, who pushed Nadal to five sets in his lone Grand Slam final appearance at the 2019 United States Open, has won three of his last four matches against Djokovic, including their most recent meeting at the ATP finals in November.Tsitsipas, who would be playing in his first Grand Slam final, is 2-4 against Djokovic but nearly leveled his record against him at last October’s French Open: Tsitsipas came from two sets down to force a fifth set in their semifinal before ultimately losing that set 6-1 after suffering a leg injury.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More

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      2021 Australian Open: What to Watch on Tuesday Night

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      #masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }The Australian OpenWhat to Watch TodayHow to WatchThe Players to KnowFans in Virus LockdownAdvertisementContinue reading the main storySupported byContinue reading the main story2021 Australian Open: What to Watch on Tuesday NightTwo Americans, Jennifer Brady and Jessica Pegula, feature in a quarterfinal at the Australian Open.Jessica Pegula of the U.S. has dropped only one set on her way to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.Credit…Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/ReutersFeb. 16, 2021Updated 10:14 a.m. ETHow to watch: 6 to 9 p.m., Eastern time on the Tennis Channel and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. on ESPN2 in the United States; streaming on the ESPN+ and ESPN3 apps.The quarterfinals of the Australian Open continue on Tuesday night. As Ashleigh Barty and Rafael Nadal look to continue their dominance, young challengers will try to unseat them on the way to the final.Here are some matches to keep an eye on.The times for individual matchups are estimates and may fluctuate based on when earlier play is completed. All times are Eastern.Rod Laver Arena | 7 p.m. TuesdayAshleigh Barty vs. Karolina MuchovaAshleigh Barty withdrew from the WTA tour in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, deciding to stay in Australia to keep herself and her team safe. Critics believed that it would be nearly impossible for Barty, the No. 1 seed, to meet expectations, but she has been in scintillating form. She has not lost a match in the past two weeks, winning the Yarra Valley Classic and not dropping a set on her way to the Australian Open quarterfinals.Karolina Muchova has reached the quarterfinals after two exceptional performances against Karolina Pliskova and Elise Mertens, the sixth and 18th seeds. The 24-year-old may have won both matches in straight sets, but she needed to win seven games in each to complete her upsets. Now, up against the consistent Barty, Muchova will need to temper high unforced error counts if she’s to reach her first Grand Slam semifinal.Rafael Nadal of Spain is a clear favorite to make the final at the Australian Open.Credit…Dave Hunt/EPA, via ShutterstockRod Laver Arena | 9 p.m. TuesdayJennifer Brady vs. Jessica PegulaAfter Jessica Pegula upset the No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina, she turned to the camera and finished off her signed message with, “See you in the next round Jen B.” Jennifer Brady returned the love after her victory over Donna Vekic, writing, “Bring it Jess.” The two Americans are good friends and have been supportive of each other’s progress.Before this tournament, Pegula had never reached the round of 16 at a major event. With wins over two top-20 players her run to the quarterfinals has been impressive with only one set dropped. Her aggressive style is well suited to the faster courts at this year’s Australian Open.Brady, who reached the semifinals at the United States Open in September, was the only female player placed in a more restrictive quarantine after arriving in Melbourne to reach the second week. On average, Brady has lost fewer than five games per match on her way to the quarterfinals, and it’s hard to see how Pegula might be able to upset the 22nd seed.Rod Laver Arena | 11 p.m. TuesdayAndrey Rublev vs. Daniil MedvedevAndrey Rublev and Daniil Medvedev secured the ATP Cup for Russia earlier this month, with neither player losing a singles match throughout. In their three meetings on the ATP Tour, Medvedev has come out on top each time, including in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open in September.This may be Rublev’s chance to finally overcome his friendly rival. He has looked particularly dominant, not dropping a set throughout the tournament. His match against Casper Ruud ended after only two sets when the Norwegian withdrew with an injury. Going into the quarterfinals, Rublev has led the field in both percentage of first service points won and second service points won, a sign of how hard it has been for opponents to break his serve.Medvedev has also been playing well, aside from a chaotic, disorganized third round match against Filip Krajinovic. He has now won 18 matches in a row, with his last loss coming in October at a tournament in Vienna. Although the fast surface fits Medvedev’s flat baseline shots, Rublev’s open stance is well suited in defense, and we’re sure to see many dynamic, aggressive points.Rod Laver Arena | 3:30 a.m. WednesdayRafael Nadal vs. Stefanos TsitsipasRafael Nadal, the No. 2 seed, has moved smoothly through the first four rounds, no surprise for a player with 20 Grand Slam titles. Although Nadal won his only Australian Open title over a decade ago, he has reached the finals on four other occasions since, and is a clear favorite in his half of the draw to do so again. Nadal’s powerful topspin shots are well-suited to clay courts where he can drag opponents around with tightly angled shots. Nadal’s ability to exploit his opponent’s weaknesses with relentless pressure can break most players on their best days.Stefanos Tsitsipas, the ATP finals winner in 2019, is a study in unpredictability. The fifth seed has a capable all-court game, but lacks the consistency to execute match after match. The 22-year-old has worked to improve this aspect of his game, but needed five sets to push back unseeded Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round. After receiving a walkover in the round of 16, Tsitsipas will be well rested and hoping for an advantage against one of the most mentally tough players on tour.AdvertisementContinue reading the main story More