Greek tennis player Stefanos Tsitsipas had a fierce burst of anger during his debut, but he calmed his nerves and now emerges as the main favorite at the Rome Masters 1000 after overwhelmingly defeating Alex De Minaur in 60 minutes: 6-1 and 6-2.
Stefanos Tsitsipas had a severe outburst of anger during his debut at the Rome Masters 1000, but over the days, he has calmed that erupting volcano, and now the Greek emerges as the main candidate for victory at the Foro Italico.
The 25-year-old Greek, ranked 8th in the world, swiftly defeated another in-form player, Alex De Minaur, in just 60 minutes in the round of 16 with scores of 6-1 and 6-2, a type of performance and result that signals a potential champion. Chilean Nicolás Jarry will be his opponent in the quarterfinals.
Tsitsipas arrived in Rome shortly after announcing his breakup with fellow tennis player Paula Badosa after an 11-month romantic relationship.
In his debut against German Jan-Lennard Struff, he violently smashed his racket against an advertising board after losing his serve in the first game, an excessive reaction that could only be explained by some personal frustration, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Stefanos had to fight hard to overcome Struff (6-7, 6-4, 6-4), but his convincing victories over Britain’s Cameron Norrie (6-2, 7-6) and Alex De Minaur (6-1, 6-2) put him in a prime position in Rome, especially after the elimination of other favorites like Novak Djokovic, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, and Holger Rune.
Rafael Nadal, focusing more on regaining form and competitive rhythm for the French Open, was also knocked out early, while Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz withdrew in Rome due to injuries, also aiming for recovery for the Grand Slam on clay (May 26 – June 9).
Tsitsipas is one of the standout figures of the European clay court tour, with a title at the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 and a runner-up finish at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell-Trofeo Conde de Godó, where Ruud returned the favor from the previous week in Monaco.
The Greek suffered an unexpected defeat in Madrid against Brazilian Thiago Monteiro, but his tennis is back in full swing in Rome, making him a strong candidate for the final victory.
