Tennis-Tsitsipas back from the brink to set up semi-final clash with Zverev in Monte Carlo (updated)

Muzali Arts

15/04/2022 23:06

(Adds Tsitsipas win, quotes)
    MONTE CARLO, April 15 (Reuters) - Defending champion
Stefanos Tsitsipas came out on top from a thrilling
quarter-final clash with Diego Schwartzman, prevailing 6-2
6-7(3) 6-4 on Friday to set up a meeting with Alexander Zverev
at the Monte Carlo Masters.
    The Greek third seed was 5-2 up in the second set but
inexplicably lost the plot and trailed 4-0 in the decider before
rediscovering his touch.
    He will take on Alexander Zverev for a place in Sunday's
final after the German world number three claimed an epic 5-7
6-3 7-6(5) victory against Italian Jannik Sinner.
    Earlier, Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina reached his
first Masters semi-final by beating American Taylor Fritz 2-6
6-4 6-3 and will take on Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.
    In the penultimate match of the day, Zverev and Sinner
provided the Monte Carlo Country Club crowd with an intense
encounter.
    A terrible service game by Sinner gave Zverev a break for
3-1 but the German failed to hold on to the advantage and the
Italian broke back before bagging the opening set. 
    After an early trade of breaks in the second set, Zverev
took a medical timeout and was given a pill by the
physiotherapist.
    It had the desired effect on the German as he appeared to
move more freely to claim the set. 
    The Italian then appeared to be hampered by a thigh strain
and Zverev went on to break for 2-1 in the deciding set.
Although Sinner managed to level the set, he produced a woeful
double fault to allow Zverev to move 4-3 ahead.
    In yet another twist, Sinner broke back for 5-5 and forced a
tiebreak but he just could not get over the finishing line, with
Zverev sealing victory on his first match point.
    "It means a lot, definitely, especially  with  how this year
has been going so far for me," said Zverev. "I've lost long
matches like that, so I’m happy I won this one."
    It seemed like Tsitsipas's match against Schwartzman would
be a walk in the park for the Greek.
    He went 6-2 5-2 quickly before suddenly losing his composure
in spectacular fashion.
    Schwartzman, a claycourt specialist, forced a tiebreak,
which he breezed through, and Tsitsipas seemed lost, being
penalised for a foot fault.
    He went 4-0 down in the third set but won the remaining six
games to wrap it up on his second match point.
    

 (Writing by Julien Pretot; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
 ((julien.pretot@thomsonreuters.com; +33149495370;))