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Dialuna 14 Juni 2021

French Open runner-up Tsitsipas says he learned a lesson

(AP) — When Stefanos break point in the final three The turnaround was sur- "You're playing for your first ter as the match progressed,
Tsitsipas' first Grand Slam sets. prising because at 22, Tsitsi- Grand Slam trophy, but you Tsitsipas' game slipped. His
final had ended, he sank pas is 12 years younger than don't have much to lose," groundstrokes became less
into his changeover chair "I don't know what happened Djokovic, and the Greek ap- Djokovic said. "So I knew penetrating, and by the end
and buried his head in a there, but he came back like peared to be the fresher play- that he's going to probably he wore a weary expression.
towel. a different player suddenly," er in the first two sets. start off very well, which was
Tsitsipas said. "He played Djokovic said he was braced the case." "I felt like my rhythm was off;
Novak Djokovic has that ef- really well. He gave me no for Tsitsipas to get off to a I really don't know why," Tsit-
fect on opponents. space." good start. But while Djokovic found sipas said. "It was very strange
his form and moved bet- considering that I started off
Tsitsipas built a big lead and finding my rhythm, finding
appeared on his way to an my shots, and my movement
upset victory at the French on the court was perfect. And
Open, but Djokovic mount- suddenly I just felt cold and
ed an improbable comeback out of it. I felt like I kind of
to win his 19th major title lost my game a little bit. I re-
Sunday, 6-7 (6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, ally wish I could understand
6-4. why."
"What I learned today is that Tsitsipas was treated after the
no matter what, in order for third set for a hip issue but
the match to be finished, you dismissed it as a factor.
have to win three sets and
not two," Tsitsipas said. "Two He was the youngest men's
sets doesn't really mean any- finalist at Roland Garros
thing." since Rafael Nadal won the
title in 2008, and was trying
Not against Djokovic, who to become the first Greek to
overcame a two-set deficit win a Grand Slam title.
for the second time in the
tournament and the sixth "Despite my loss today, I have
time in his career. He took faith in my game," Tsitsipas
a bathroom break following said. "I very much believe
the second set and dominat- I can get to that point very
ed thereafter, never facing a soon. I was close today."