Beating Roger Federer at last month's Australian Open was more than a major breakthrough for Stefanos Tsitsipas.
It was a mind-blowing experience.
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"It was like a dream come true," Tsitsipas told ATPTour.com. "After that match, I felt like my brain was exploding. It was a magical moment that I will never forget. The first time is always special. Beating your idol."
The second-seeded Tsitsipas meets Jan-Lennard Struff in his Sofia opener today, a day after Italian Matteo Berrettini knocked off top-seeded Karen Khachanov in three sets.
Last month, a defiant Tsitsipas saved all 12 break points he faced stunning Federer, 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-6 (5), in a pulsating and historic Australian Open triumph.
The 20-year-old Tsitsipas became the first Greek player—man or woman—to advance to a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Tsitsipas backed up his big win fending off red-hot Doha champion Roberto Bautista Agut to charge into his first career Grand Slam semifinal in Melbourne where he was schooled by world No. 2 Rafael Nadal.
Still, in just his seventh Grand Slam appearance the NextGen star achieved one of his goals—a major semifinal— and knows 20-time Grand Slam king will be ready when they meet again.
"Obviously, next time, when we face again, it is going to be different," Tsitsipas said. "He will know what to expect. And I have to be more prepared for that. I like to play this kind of players. You can learn a lot of things. Even when I win, I still can learn a lot of things from them. These are the moments I am playing tennis for."
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve