FILE PHOTO – Tennis – Australian Open – Semi-final – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, January 24, 2019. Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas in action during the match against Spain’s Rafael Nadal. REUTERS/Aly Song
February 24, 2019
Rising Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas recorded a 7-6 (1), 6-2 victory over David Goffin on Saturday to advance to the championship match of the Open 13 Provence in Marseille, France.
The top-seeded Tsitsipas needed just 69 minutes to eliminate the third-seeded Belgian in the semifinal match. The Australian Open semifinalist is looking for his second official career title after winning last season at Stockholm. He also triumphed in Milan at the ATP Next Gen Finals in November.
“It is important to win titles. Titles mean a lot,” the 20-year-old Tsitsipas said after the victory. “(Titles) won’t come to you. You have to work hard to get them. … There is no better feeling than winning a title. It feels amazing.”
Tsitsipas will face Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan in the title match. Kukushkin defeated French wild-card Ugo Humbert 6-4, 6-4 in the other semifinal on Saturday.
Delray Beach Open
Great Britain’s Daniel Evans booked a spot in the title match by posting a shocking 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 upset victory over second-seeded John Isner in Florida.
Evans will face either Mackenzie McDonald or Moldova’s Radu Albot, who were slated to meet in the other semifinal on Saturday night.
Evans will be looking for his first ATP title, and the win over Isner — ranked No. 9 in the world — was his third against a top-10 opponent. Neither McDonald nor Albot has a title on his resume, meaning the tournament champion will be a first-time winner.
Rio Open
Canadian wild card Felix Auger-Aliassime stunned Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to advance to his first career final at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Auger-Aliassime will face Serbia’s Laslo Djere, who moved into the title match when Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene withdrew with a right leg injury.
The 18-year-old Auger-Aliassime, who doesn’t turn 19 until August, is looking to become the youngest ATP 500 champion since the level was established in 2009. Germany’s Alexander Zverev (19) is the youngest ATP 500 champ.
–Field Level Media
