“Tennis Is a Psychological Game”: Stefanos Tsitsipas Describes His Comeback Against Felix Auger-Aliassime at Cincinnati Open

After a great summer at the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships, Stefanos Tsitsipas has made it to another semifinal. The Greek national overcame young Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open. The former won 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in a battle lasting a little over an hour.

However, Stefanos’ win was nothing short of dramatic. He had to overcome numerous challenges, especially when he could have won the match in the second set itself. He called tennis a “psychological game” in his post match interview.

Second set dismay for Stefanos Tsitsipas

The Greek had control over the game from an overall outlook. Moreover, Stefanos looked set for a clean 2-0 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime. However, a little loss in concentration led to Stefanos’ loss in the second set; Felix came down from 4-5, 15-40 down in the second set to win three games in a row.

Talking about overcoming in the second set in his post-match interview, he said, “Tennis is a psychological game and things like this happen. It’s important to just stick to your roots and what you are doing best.

Aug 19, 2021; Mason, OH, USA; Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) reacts during a match against Matteo Berrettini (ITA) during the Western and Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports

“It might not have been ideal in the second set, especially when I made so many opportunities and had such a good opportunity to close it a bit earlier.

“But with a lot of patience and just trying to find that opportunity in the third set, I was stepping in, I was really determined and I didn’t let go,” said Tsitsipas, who looked less worried after his win.

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Final comeback by Tsitsipas in the third set

The Greek second seed at the Cincinnati Open proved his ranking and seeding in the third set. After a disappointing loss in the second set, Tsitsipas came back fresh and completely demolished a young Felix 6-1.

“I was determined, fierce and feisty when I had to be. I’m just filled with many emotions right now. Things got really tough at some point and I had to find different solutions and come up with some new ideas and I followed through. I made it a choice of mine to step in with aggression and build up the game,” said Tsitsipas.

Aug 10, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece reacts after a point against Ugo Humbert of France (not pictured) at Aviva Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

Despite a strong performance, Felix could carry himself to his maiden semifinal in 2021. However, he has a great future ahead of him after a series of comprehensive performances.

As for Tsitsipas, there are still two matches between him and the Cincinnati Open title. He will be facing Alexander Zverev, who beat Casper Ruud in the semifinals. Safe to say, it won’t be an easy battle for the 2021 French Open finalist.

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