Stefanos Tsitsipas finds the right footwork while Felix Auger-Aliassime sees off tricky opponent

Shahida Jacobs
Add as a preferred source on Google
Stefanos Tsitsipas in action
Stefanos Tsitsipas hits a forehand

Stefanos Tsitsipas returned to winning ways following his Australian Open final heartbreak as he eased past Emil Ruusuvuori at the Rotterdam Open while Felix Auger-Aliassime also booked his place in the second round.

Top seed Tsitsipas arrived in the Netherlands on the back of losing the season-opening Grand Slam final against Novak Djokovic while he also lost his doubles opener alongside his brother Petros at the ATP 500 event on Monday, although he did win two Davis Cup singles rubbers for Greece against Ecuador.

And he took a while to get going in the singles first round against Ruusuvuori as he was broken in game five, but once he found his rhythm it was smooth sailing.

The Greek broke back in game five and after a solid hold he broke again to wrap up the set while two breaks in the second set earned him the 7-5, 6-1 victory in one hour and 33 minutes.

“My footwork got better over time,” Tsitsipas said after the win. “I think I wasn’t very well adjusted in those first few games, and it took a little bit of time to find the right footwork, [get used to] the speed of the court, [acclimatise] to the new conditions.

“I had an opportunity in the last game [when Ruusuvuori led 5-3] to come back. I revived from that, I regenerated some awesome tennis and I recaptured that first set, which was crucial. I think from that point onwards it was flawless tennis. I was able to produce some really good shots.”

Up next will be either Benjamin Bonzi from France or the in-form Jannik Sinner, who won the Open Sud de France in Montpellier on Sunday.

Defending champion Auger-Aliassime made it 13-1 in his last 14 matches in Rotterdam as he brushed aside Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-3.

Auger-Aliassime won his maiden singles at the tournament last year, defeating Tsitsipas in the final, while in 2020 he finished runner-up to Gael Monfils.

It was a smooth start for the Canadian as he broke in games six and eight of the first set and in game four of the second set.

“I am extremely satisfied about this win against an opponent who’s always tricky,” the sixth seed said. “Sonego is a real fighter and often hangs in there during a game, but luckily it wasn’t the case this time. It’s a great start to the tournament for me.”

Sixth seed Daniil Medvedev, though, had to work for his victory as the former world No 1 lost the opening set against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina before rallying to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory.

Medvedev broke twice in the second set and four times in the decider, but he will need to serve better if he is to win the tournament as Davidovich Fokina broke his serve three times in the opening set and twice in the third.

“I just managed to play a little bit better,” Medvedev said after his win. “I don’t want to say that I played much better, but a little bit better, managed to use the crucial opportunities a little bit better and I feel like he was missing a bit more than in the first set.”

READ MORE: Who is Stefanos Tsitsipas’ girlfriend Theodora Petalas?

Related Articles