“I feel like the better player,” Stefanos Tsitsipas turns sour after bitter loss to Andrey Rublev at Nitto ATP Finals
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Stefanos Tsitsipas (IMAGO / LaPresse)
Stefanos Tsitsipas failed to make it to the semifinals of the Nitto ATP Finals, after biting the dust in a three-set loss against Andrey Rublev in the final round-robin stage fixture. The Greek said a couple of unpleasant things about Andrey Rublev’s playing style in the post-match conference, which did not go down well with fans as well.
Stefanos Tsitsipas stated that it was a shame that the better player came out second at the end of the day. According to his analysis, he was clearly the better player out of the two on Friday evening. Moreover, he took a jibe at the Russian’s limited range of shots, saying that Andrey Rublev emerged victorious with the few tools he has.
“It’s a shame. I feel like the better player. I felt like I could do more with the ball today. I felt like I could just be much more creative. I don’t even have to say that. I think it’s quite obvious. But, yeah, he prevailed with the few tools that he has. He was able to really take advantage of them and win today,” said Tsitsipas.
Stefanos Tsitsipas reveals his pre-season plans ahead of 2023 season
Stefanos Tsitsipas has not had the best year on tour, as he has not done enough damage at major events. The Greek is already looking forward to the next season, and has highlighted his goals for the pre-season. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion revealed that he wanted to work more on his return games, which will help him cause more damage on the tour.
“My goal for the pre-season is going to be perhaps a bit more consistent with my returns, because I think if I’m able to improve on that aspect of my game, I can do more damage,” said Tsitsipas.
Stefanos Tsitsipas also reflected on his goals for this season, which he outlined at the start of the year. The Greek started the season on a positive note, which kind of fizzled out towards the end. “That was my goal from the beginning of the year, which I was still kind of not fully convinced that I can do it because of my [elbow] injury at the end of the previous year. But after having a few good results in the beginning of the year, I thought maybe I can actually do it this year and break into the Top 3 again,” he added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas will have plenty of time to reflect on an underwhelming 2022 season, before he returns to action again in a couple of months. The Greek will target a deep run at the Australian Open 2023, a tournament where he has managed to reach the semifinals on three occasions.
Also Read: WATCH: “Time to cut the umbilical cord” Stefanos Tsitsipas fires a ball toward his box in frustration after hearing his mother’s ‘constant’ bickering
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Nirmit Mehta
(2425 Articles Published)