"I was able to produce some really good shots" - Tsitsipas happy with win in Rotterdam
ATP
Stefanos Tsitsipas opened his 2023 Rotterdam Open campaign with a straight set win over Emil Ruusuvuori, saying he was happy with this performance after a slow start.
It was the Greek's first appearance on court since his defeat by Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final at the end of January.
Despite a somewhat rusty start, falling behind by a break in the first set, Tsitsipas stepped up to break his opponent when Ruusuvuori was serving for the opening set. From 3-5 down, the Greek reeled off four straight games to steal the first set, finding his rhythm in the second to complete a satisfactory opening victory.
My footwork got better over time. I think I wasn’t very well adjusted in those first few games, and it took a little bit of time to find the right footwork, [get used to] the speed of the court, [acclimatise] to the new conditions. I had an opportunity in the last game [when Ruusuvuori led 5-3] to come back. I revived from that, I regenerated some awesome tennis and I recaptured that first set, which was crucial. I think from that point onwards it was flawless tennis. I was able to produce some really good shots.- Tsitsipas speaking to press post-match
The process that you get to repeat these things over and over again, it gives you tremendous understanding of how things actually work. When you’re younger, you try your best but of course lack experience. I think being able to get in these moments more and more often on the Tour helps you understand, makes you wiser when you’re trying to deal with all these problems.- Tsitsipas talks about the secret to trusting the process
The two-time Grand Slam finalist will face young Italian talent Jannik Sinner next, in what will be a tough examination of the Greek's indoor hard court credentials. The two last faced off in Melbourne last month, with Tsitsipas winning a gripping encounter in five sets.
