Back-to-back finals 🤩 @steftsitsipas wins his 10th match in a row vs Lajovic to set up a rematch of the Monte-Carlo final in Barcelona! @bcnopenbs #BCNOpenBS
Stefanos Tsitsipas defeated Dusan Lajovic 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 to advance to the final of the ATP 500 Barcelona Open for the fourth time in his career and will be seeking his second title of the year. The Greek maintains his undefeated streak of 10-0 on clay this year and will face Casper Ruud, whom he already defeated a week ago at the Monte-Carlo Masters.
The world No. 7 overcame a great performance from the Serbian, especially in the first set where Lajovic was almost untouchable with a 79% first-serve percentage compared to Tsitsipas' 55%. Only two break points were played in the set, both against Tsitsipas, who saved the first one, but Lajovic took advantage of the second instance to take the lead 7-5.
In the second set, Tsitsipas got his first break point but couldn't capitalize on it. Again, it seemed like the Serbian wouldn't give any ground on his serve, and neither player managed to put much pressure on their opponent's serve. In the seventh game, Tsitsipas seized a lone opportunity to secure the break that would seal his advantage in the set, before leveling the match at 6-4.
In the third set, Tsitsipas took control of the proceedings. After the Serbian started by holding his serve and taking a 1-0 lead, the Greek initiated a strong run of points, capitalizing on several unforced errors from Lajovic. Tsitsipas won 21 of the following 22 points, giving him a 5-1 lead with two breaks in his favor.
Although Lajovic raised his level slightly towards the end of the match, there was no room for a comeback, and Tsitsipas secured his spot in his second consecutive final with a score of 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. This marks Tsitsipas' fourth appearance in the Barcelona Open final, although he has never claimed the title, having lost twice to Rafael Nadal (2018, 2021) and last year to Carlos Alcaraz.
Back-to-back finals 🤩 @steftsitsipas wins his 10th match in a row vs Lajovic to set up a rematch of the Monte-Carlo final in Barcelona! @bcnopenbs #BCNOpenBS