Stefanos Tsitsipas had a very dominant display against Jeremy Chardy defeating him 7-6(6) 6-3 6-1 to move to Roland-Garros R2.
The Greek played a strong brand of tennis that allowed him to wear down Chardy whose play deteriorated as the match progressed. After breaking his spirit with a narrow tiebreak win the Greek continued to apply the pressure with Chardy faltering more and more. The final set was an utter display of dominance from Tstisipas who won it 6-1.
The key moment of the match was the tiebreak where Tstisipas was very focused. He said after the match:
“I stayed calm in the difficult moments that were presented in the tie-break and I dealt with them really well. Of course I think that tie-break played a crucial role in the next set and the psychology of the game, too.”
Tstisipas was not wrong in his assessment as Chardy really looked 'out of it' in the 2nd set especially in the 3rd set. Stefanos on the other hand raised his intensity even more focusing on not letting the match slip away. Asked about his focus in the 2nd and 3rd set he said:
“For sure concentration is an important element in my game. I was able to increase my level of concentration today after the first set. I felt like I put my foot on the gas and didn’t let go. I wasn’t able to find my rhythm really well in the beginning."
Tsitsipas will have a tough opponent in R2 as he might face Sebastian Korda who is in stellar form after his title run in Parma.