Stefanos Tsitsipas kick starts bid to win a first ATP 500 title with Ruusuvuori win

Stefanos Tsitsipas battled his way into the second round of the Rotterdam Open after being made to work for his win over Emil Ruusuvuori in the Netherlands.

The top seed – who is bidding for a first ATP 500 Title this week – eventually won through on his return to the singles tour following the Australian Open, winning 7-5, 6-1 in one hour 50 minutes on Centre Court. It means the World No.3 could now face Montpellier winner Jannik Sinner, should the Italian come through Wednesday’s match with Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi as expected.

Tsitsipas will be relieved to see the back of Ruusuvuori as it was the Finnish player who settled into his rhythm early, blasting his groundstrokes and not giving his higher ranked opponent any time on the ball. It was clear this was part of the Ruusuvuori game plan and it was working, the World No.52 carving out three break points in the fifth game and breaking the Tsitsipas serve on the second one.

Any thoughts this would wake the Greek up from his post-Australia slumber were quickly banished as it was Ruusuvuori who was dominating the points with his backhand in particular causing problems. But to beat the big names you have to take chances when presented and Ruusuvuori played his worst game of the set when serving for it at 5-4, Tsitsipas reeling off four games in a row to take the first set 7-5.

Tsitsipas won in straight sets in the pairs only previous encounter in Stockholm last year and there was a feeling the man from Helsinki’s chances of writing a different story this time around had come and gone as the Greek broke early in the second set, a backhand then a forehand winner putting him 3-1 up.

Ruusuvuori just wasn't finding the power he was at the start of the match and with Tsitsipas first serving at 71%, the match momentum had fully swung in the nine-time tour winners favour.

And Tsitsipas rounded off a match that had ended much more comfortably than it had started when breaking again, closing it out on his third match point with a strong serve that was unreturned.