In a match that largely disappointed viewers at the 2023 Monte-Carlo Masters, Stefanos Tsitsipas bested Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-2 to secure the final.
Tennis fans flocked to Court Rainer III to watch a spectacle of superb tennis, and they did not get to see it. Both Tsitsipas and Zverev looked below their level all match long, and the level of tennis was not very high except for a few rallies and moments.
Both played pretty long matches yesterday, so that might have been the case. It was certainly for Zverev, who misfired on a couple of forehands early, falling behind 0-2, not capitalizing on the aggressiveness he talked about at the event.
While he did battle back to make it 2-2, Tsitsipas looked much more focused and engaged in the match. Zverev did not play well, and his reactions were not very energetic either. It was mostly confused looks at his box, unable to pinpoint why things were going wrong.
Tsitsipas served for the first set at 5-4, but just like yesterday, he choked it away with some poor play and decision-making. The Gerek was lucky to escape with the first set as Zverev played another poor game, losing his serve for the 3rd time in the set.
Things did not look much better for Zverev in the second set, as the German continued to play lackluster tennis. Tsitsipas finally found a bit of rhythm, and he was super focused in the second set, which allowed him to win the set with two breaks 6-2.
It was a reasonable effort from Tsitsipas as he escaped with plenty of time to rest ahead of a clash with Davidovich Fokina, who certainly will be more fatigued. He is looking to become the third player to defend his Monte-Carlo Masters trophy after Rafael Nadal and Juan Carlos Ferrero did it before.
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