Stefanos Tsitsipas kicked off his 2024 Paris Olympics preparation with a solid win over Hamad Medjedovic at the Swiss Open in Gstaad.
Unlike in years past, when he either went to Hamburg or simply took a few weeks off, Stefanos Tsitsipas opted to go to Gstaad this time around to participate in the ATP 250 tournament.
It was an interesting choice, but he certainly didn't regret it after the first match, in which he bested Medjedovic in two sets. It was a much-needed win after an early Wimbledon loss and generally weaker performances this year.
The event is played in a winter resort town that has quite a bit of altitude, so perhaps that's why he chose it, as it helps his game. The conditions won't be similar to those in Paris, but his good first serve will prove a weapon this week, as it already did in this opening match.
The altitude certainly helped both players in the opening set as fans didn't see any breaks. Both served at a decent level and dominated behind their first serve which contributed to the score.
Still, there were chances on both sides, but neither player was able to break through. In the tie-break, Tsitsipas won, but it was very close and could have gone either way, and both produced some spectacular shots.
Medjedovic actually had a great chance at the end of the set to win it, but that momentum-shifting game proved crucial for Tsitsipas. After taking the opening set, the Greek was able to relax a little bit.
An expected drop from Medjedovic came only minutes later, and when it came, the Greek was able to break and take a commanding lead. From there, it was a rather simple cruise to the finish line as he won the second set 6-3.
The final score was 7-6(6), 6-3 for Tsitsipas behind 11 aces and 27 winners. The top seed's crucial stat was saving all five of the break points he faced. If he hadn't, this match would have gone much differently.
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