Stefanos Tsitsipas says what was ‘very strange’ about his opening Paris Masters win that ‘doesn’t happen very often’
Stefanos Tsitsipas has made it through to the second round of the Paris Masters after a comeback win over Roberto Carballes Baena.
The Greek star headed to the Paris Masters on the back of a quarter-final Basel Open exit, where Tsitsipas lost to Arthur Fils.
Having been seeded third at the Swiss Indoors Basel last week, Tsitsipas is now the 10th seed at the Paris Masters.
And Tsitsipas is into the second round of the Masters 1,000 event after overcoming Spaniard Baena 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
He now faces Alejandro Tabilo in round two, with a lengthy run needed in France if he is to secure qualification to the ATP Finals.
Stefanos Tsitsipas overcomes illness in Paris Masters win
But his tournament almost came to an abrupt end early on, with Tsitsipas needing to use all of his experience to grind out the one-hour, 59-minute win.
As per the ATP website, the Greek ace has analysed the match, saying: “I didn’t start so well. I had an upset stomach and wasn’t feeling so great on the court.
“I couldn’t even pump myself up at the beginning of the match, because when something is bothering you that much, it takes your entire concentration and focus. That was perhaps the second battle I was facing today, along with my opponent.
“It took a long time for me to feel better. It was very strange. It doesn’t happen very often. I just had to feel better, because I knew I was playing good tennis.
“I didn’t have a great start, but there were so many things on my mind at that moment, I wasn’t able to play clearly and with a good picture.”
Can Stefanos Tsitsipas qualify for the ATP Finals?
Tsitsipas certainly deserved to come out on top in his round of 64 meeting with Baena, having hit 36 winners compared to the latter’s 15.
But it was a difficult battle in Paris, with the upcoming clash with Tabilo also certain to be tricky given his fine season so far.
Tsitsipas is 11th in the ATP rankings, but he has struggled for form in recent times, with the 11-time tour-level winner now desperate to stay the course this week.
He occupies 12th spot in the ATP Live Race To Turin, with a sixth successive finals appearance on the cards should he take the Paris Masters by storm.
Finding his groove will be crucial, with Tsitsipas glad to have finally done so against Spanish ace Baena in round one.
“Eventually I found the tennis that I wanted,” he added. “It took a while to get to that point, but I knew that if I got to the point of feeling my game and aligning with my shots, it perhaps would have been enough to win that match.
“He wasn’t giving me much. I knew that he was going to fight but I knew I had some weapons that could hurt him a lot and I used those towards the end.”
