Stefanos Tsitsipas Didn’t Know He’d Beaten Benoit Paire !
Australian Open
January 22, 2022
Stefanos Tsitsipas produced one of the most bizarre endings to a Grand Slam tennis match ever seen at the Australian Open.
As the encounter neared its conclusion, the Greek superstar conjured a stunning return and Benoit Paire netted forlornly.
Still in the zone, Tsitsipas clenched his fist and walked to the back of the court, preparing for the next point.
But Tsitsipas had a problem all tennis players would like to have. There wasn’t a next point. He’d won already!
Once Stefanos realised it was over, he quickly went to the net and shook hands with the Frenchman.
It had been a convincing display, even though Tsitsipas had lost the third-set breaker.
Superstar Stefanos would have taken 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-4 at the start of the match for sure.
He said later: ‘I’m pretty glad with the win. He’s one of the biggest talents in the game so it was an important one.’
Now Tsitsipas plays hot American Taylor Fritz and commented: ‘Taylor has improved in the last couple of years so I will have to take it seriously. Hopefully I’ll have the crowd supporting me again.’
Dashing Tsitsipas will also have a massive following at Wimbledon 2022 if he can get on a roll in London.
Another young star who had the Melbourne crowd cheering was Canadian hot-shot Felix Auger-Aliassime.
First he smashed his way into the top ten. Then he made relatively short work of Britain’s Dan Evans.
Plucky Evo had his chances in the first set but only made ten winners to Auger’s forty overall.
Felix said: ‘It’s definitely one of the best Grand Slam performances I’ve had. For some reason everything was working for me today after the first set.
‘It’s the best feeling. I hope I’m on for a good tournament so thank you. It was a great atmosphere tonight.
‘I feel like I deserve my place (as world number 9) and to be in the fourth round here.’
Daniil Medvedev also deserves his standing as the tournament favourite. He disposed of Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in a stress-free encounter.
Meanwhile former Wimbledon champion Simona Halep brushed aside Emma Raducanu’s conqueror, Danka Kovinic. She barely broke sweat as she triumphed 6-2, 6-1.
We look forward to welcoming Halep back to Wimbledon 2022, where she will be popular once more.
The Australian Open is reaching the business end now and all the matches from here will be huge.
It’s a wonderful opener to the Grand Slam season.
But nothing will beat Wimbledon 2022 in Centenary Year.
A perfect moment in time. Will you be there to embrace it?
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