Stefanos Tsitsipas is in the quarter-finals for the first time at the French Open, where he meets the 22-year-old Russian Andrej Rublew. Novak Djokovic is also not required in the round of 16.
First of all, Tsitsipas had survived the round of 16 in his career when he celebrated his breakthrough at the Australian Open 2019 with a surprising victory against Roger Federer. In Paris he lost the first two sets in the first round, but has been on the rise since then. Under the roof of the Court Philippe-Chatrier, which was closed due to light rain, last year’s number 5 Masters winner beat Bulgarian Grigor 6: 3, 7: 6 (11: 9), 6: 2 in 2:26 hours Dimitrov (ATP 20).
Last year, Tsitsipas lost to Stan Wawrinka in the last sixteen in a five-hour crime thriller. This time he made a preliminary decision in the second set when he blocked two set balls in the tie-break.
Rublew beats Fucsovics – Djokovic not challenged
Andrej Rublew (ATP 12) struggled for almost four hours with the rock solid Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (ATP 63) in the increasingly heavy drizzle before he prevailed in four sets. Fucsovics had eliminated Daniil Medvedev, fifth in the world rankings, in the first round. After two quarter-finals at the US Open, Rublew, like Tsitsipas, is in the quarter-finals for the first time in Roland Garros and is by no means the clear outsider despite the lower ranking. The Russian has won both previous duels against the Greeks, the last time in the final in Hamburg a good week ago in three contested sets.
The clear favorite, however, will also be Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, regardless of whether the opponent is Pablo Carreño Busta or Daniel Altmaier. In the round of 16, the Serb also made short work of the number 15 Russian Karen Khachanov (6: 4, 6: 3, 6: 3). In four games, the world number 1 only played 25 games, on average just over two per set.
In the women’s category, German Laura Siegemund (WTA 66) qualified for a Grand Slam quarter-final for the first time at the age of 32. The double winner at the US Open decided the duel between two outsiders against the Spaniard Paula Badosa (WTA 87) and now meets Petra Kvitova. The two-time Wimbledon winner and current number 11 in the world is not a sand specialist. She is only in the round of eight at the French Open after 2012, but has not yet lost a set.
