Stefanos Tsitsipas fought his way past a very inspired Taylor Fritz as the Melbourne crowd was largely behind him during the match.
It was a 5-set thriller between Tsitsipas and Frit with the Greek outlasting his opponent with patience and fight. The crowd was largely on his side and celebrated his every point fiercely and Tsisipas was well appreciative of the effort after the match.
He said:
“I gave everything out on the court today. I am very proud of myself with the way I fought and the way I stay consistent in the crucial moments. I am overwhelmed. The stadium was on fire. It is too good to be true.”
Tsitsipas expected a very physical affair knowing how well Frit is able to play especially in conditions that are suitable for his game:
“I knew it was going to get physical and I kept reminding myself to get in there, do the work and not give up. Just a little more patience and at the end it paid off. It was good to have the crowd with me.”