Barcelona Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas goes 'over the limit' to beat Facundo Diaz Acosta in epic
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Updated 20/04/2024 at 08:04 GMT
Stefanos Tsitsipas survived a scare against Facundo Diaz Acosta to reach the semi-finals of the Barcelona Open. Diaz Acosta took the opening set but the Greek recovered to seal a 4-6 6-3 7-6(8) victory and set up a last-four clash with either Dusan Lajovic. Elsewhere, Holger Rune eased into the semi-finals of the Bavarian International in Munich after beating Marc-Andrea Huesler.
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece celebrates after winning match point in their quarterfinals match against Facundo Diaz Acosta on day five of the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell at Real Club De Tenis Barcelona on April 19, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
Image credit: Getty Images
Stefanos Tsitsipas made it nine wins on the bounce after surviving two match points to beat Facundo Diaz Acosta in a dramatic quarter-final encounter at the Barcelona Open.
Fresh off his Monte Carlo Masters triumph, the Greek had to dig deep in a contest that lasted more than two-and-a-half hours to prevail 4-6 6-3 7-6(8) and set up a last-four meeting with Dusan Lajovic.
“I was coming close [to losing] at certain moments in the match,” Tsitsipas said. “It seemed like a mountain.
“I reminded myself that I have a headband that I wear here that has a mountain and that I need to climb it, so it kept me going.
“It was extremely difficult to sustain the same level throughout the entire match and I think he played incredible. I think he left everything out there.
“He is a good clay-court player. He has a title on the ATP Tour for a reason and today it was a level he was able to bring out on the court that made it quite obvious.”
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Watch highlights as Tsitsipas prevails in Barcelona Open thriller against Diaz Acosta
Tsitsipas had not dropped a set en route to the quarters in Barcelona but fell behind early to Diaz Acosta.
The Argentine, who battled past No. 17 seed Fabian Marozsan in the last 16, posed a constant threat in the opener and broke in the third game.
Tsitsipas hit back to lead 4-3 but Diaz Acosta reeled off three games in a row to seize the advantage.
The second set went with serve until Tsitsipas pounced on an opportunity to break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead, and that proved decisive as the Greek served out to take the contest all the way.
Tsitsipas opened up a 3-1 lead in the decider, but Diaz Acosta responded to restore parity at 3-3 and set up a dramatic finale.
On the verge of defeat with Tsitsipas serving for the match at 5-4, the Argentine found the break he needed and then had a chance at 6-5 to seal a thrilling victory but sent a backhand wide as the contest moved into a tie-break.
Diaz Acosta led the breaker 5-2 and had another chance to win at 7-6, but it was Tsitsipas who came through at the third time of asking, collapsing to the ground at the end of gruelling encounter.
“I feel like having so many matches under my belt and faced situations like this helps for sure," added Tsitsipas. “I knew anything was possible at any given time.
“Even when I was serving I was being cautious. Of course you want to go full and serve aces and win easy points but that is not how it works on clay and clay does not give you anything for free. You have to work for every single moment.
“I got a little bit tense on my serve, I won't lie. I think I started decelerating a lot, but once I got a hold of that, it went back to where it belonged and helped me a lot in the tie-breaker.
“It was very mental in general. I really had to go to uncomfortable places mentally and go over the limit at some point.”
Lajovic edges out Fils
Tsitsipas will bid for a place in his second consecutive final against Lajovic, who also came through a three-setter against Arthur Fils.
The Serbian, 33, needed more than two hours on court but eventually sealed a hard-fought 6-4 3-6 6-2 win.
He will now take on one of the sport’s most in-form players as he bids to reach a first final since the ATP 250 event in Belgrade last April.
Lajovic let a 3-1 lead slip to trail Fils in the opener but landed a crucial break at 4-4 before moving a set ahead.
However, the Frenchman raced into a 5-1 lead as he quickly wrapped up the second set to take the contest to a decider.
But Fils failed to maintain that momentum and could not make any inroads into his opponent’s serve in the third set.
Lajovic, on the other hand, found another gear to reel off four games in a row from 2-2 and book his spot in the last four.
Rune reaches Munich semis
At the Bavarian International in Munich, Holger Rune dispatched Marc-Andrea Huesler in straight sets to move into the semi-finals.
Rune showed flashes of his best tennis in attack and defence to win 6-4 7-6(3) and set up a last-four clash with Felix Auger-Aliassime or Jan-Lennard Struff.
The Dane broke in the opening game of the match thanks to a pinpoint backhand down the line on the stretch and showed all his battling qualities throughout.
At 4-3, Rune was forced to dig deep to save two break points before he wrapped up the first set with a clinical smash into the open court.
Huesler let a set point slip in the second, which went with serve all the way to a tie-break.
Rune then proceeded to win five of six points from 2-2 and secured victory when Huesler fired a backhand long.
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