“One of the biggest wins of my career,” Thiago Monteiro shockingly defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas at Mutua Madrid Open

Stefanos Tsitsipas was one of the favorites to win the Madrid Open, but he failed in front of an aggressive Monteiro.

“One of the biggest wins of my career,” Thiago Monteiro shockingly defeats Stefanos Tsitsipas at Mutua Madrid Open

Thiago Monteiro, Stefanos Tsitsipas (Images via Imago)

Thiago Monteiro created a huge upset in the ongoing Madrid Open by beating sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 in the Round of 64 on Saturday (April 27). The match lasted for 96 minutes.

Tsitsipas entered the tournament after a 10-1 record on clay this season, having previously reached two back-to-back finals, at the Monte Carlo Masters and Barcelona Open. The 25-year-old ended up winning in The Principality his third title by beating Casper Ruud. However, Tsitsipas failed to repeat the same when he met the Norwegian again in the Barcelona final, losing with a scoreline of 7-5, 6-3.

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Tsitsipas was one of the favorites to win the Madrid Open, but he failed in front of an aggressive Monteiro, who capitalized on the momentum, hitting 24 winners. The win over the sixth-seeded Greek was also Monteiro’s fourth top-10 win of his career.

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For sure one of the biggest wins of my career. I knew it would be a tough match. I tried to just believe in myself all the time. I was feeling perfect on the court. I’ve been playing for 3 matches already. I had a bit of rhythm and confidence. I just fought till the end & believed.
Thiago Monteiro said after the match

Last week, the World No. 118 lost in the first round of the ATP Challenger Tour in Oerias, Portugal. He faced Portugal’s Jaime Faria, who defeated him in three sets 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(7-2). 

Netizens react after Thiago Monteiro shocked Stefanos Tsitsipas 

Stefanos Tsitsipas is a good player on clay fours, which is evident from the titles he won on the surface, including three Monte Carlo Open wins. That he lost to unseeded Thiago Monteiro in his first round was enough to make fans mock the Greek. 

Thiago Monteiro
Thiago Monteiro (Image via Imago)

Fans started praising the 29-year-old for his powerful performance, while some fans criticized Tsitsipas’s game. A fan joked that Tsitsipas is a specialist in just Monte Carlo Masters, as it was the Greek’s only title this season. Here are some of the reactions:

https://twitter.com/sinnerprop/status/1784175068920041862

Monteiro will next play 30th seed Jiri Lehecka, which will also be the Brazilian’s first-ever match in the third round at an ATP Masters 1000 event. He made his debut in Madrid last year and reached the second round. 

The third-round match will be Monteiro’s third encounter with Lehecka. They previously met in Auckland. They first faced each other on a clay surface, in Kitzbuhel.

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