Two-time champion Stefanos TSITSIPAS avoids great escape attempt to down Alexander ZVEREV at Monte-Carlo Masters

Stefanos Tsitsipas is into the Quarter-Finals again at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters in a big win for the confidence of the Greek albeit the nerves will have been at an all-time high at one point during his 7-5, 7-6(3) win over Alexander Zverev in Monaco.

Tsitsipas had to show real resolve in the end after surging into a 5-0 lead and in the end had to play out a tie-break to avoid a third set. He had two match points also and should have won it a lot more comfortably than he did. But it is also a first top 10 win since defeating Alexander Zverev at Paris in 2023 and he now leads 10-5 in their Head to Head.

A victor in this tournament in 2021 and 2022, he has often found the piece in the puzzle to find his best to begin the run towards Roland Garros and amid some recent indifferent form which saw him lose to Denis Shapovalov at the Miami Open, he will aim to find his best again this week.

The opening set was a more back and forth affair with no breaks until the last game of the set despite both having a myriad of opportunities on each others serve. Tsitsipas could've sealed it 6-4 with two set points going begging. He had to go through two more in the next service game and spurned a 30-0 advantage which perhaps showed the nerves to come. But he claimed the lead and surged away from there.

But this came at a price. He was demolishing Zverev after he went 40-30 down in the opening game, the German couldn't seal the break and Tsitsipas was in destructive form going 5-0 up and then advantage on Zverev's serve twice for the match to serve out a bagel and seal the win. But he couldn't claim it and Zverev broke straight away. It was the mirror image of the start to the set as Zverev found himself at 5-5 quickly with social media aghast as to how it turned so quickly. It went all the way to a tie-break and after going 4-2 up, it was the end after that as on his next match point, the Greek claimed it. Next up is Karen Khachanov who defeated Daniil Medvedev earlier today.