By Tennis Now | Friday, August 10, 2018
Teetering on the edge of elimination, Stefanos Tsitsipas found new life in sudden death.
Tsitsipas staged a remarkable rally from a set and 2-5 down fighting off two match points in the tie break to dethrone defending champion Alexander Zverev, 3-6, 7-6 (11), 6-4, and surge into the Toronto semifinals.
It was Tsitsipas' third consecutive Top 10 victory, following triumphs over Roland Garros finalist Dominic Thiem and Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic and his first career Top 5 win.
The 19-year-old Greek reached his first Masters semifinal.
It is a gut-wrenching loss for Zverev, who crushed returns off Tsitsipas' second serve building a one-set, 5-2 lead. Zverev smashed his racquet at the end of the second set and imploded in the final game pushing a volley long and double-faulting on match point to end a two hour, 25-minute thriller.
Afterwards a very frustrated Zverev told reporters that he didn't think either player hit their stride in the match.
"I don't think today he played that well," he said. "I think the match was absolutely pathetic on all levels. ... I mean, I'm very honest with you guys. I always say when the opponent play better. I'm probably one of the most honest guys on tour. Today was a pathetic match from -- I don't even think he played well."
A week after being blown out by Zverev in the DC semifinals, Tsitsipas won eight straight points to open, but Zverev broke back.
Slashing a backhand off the sideline for set point, Zverev coaxed a wild one-handed backhand miss from the teenager breaking to take the 33-minute opening set.
Working over the Greek baseliner's forehand wing, Zverev probed stress points and created cracks. When Tsitsipas slapped a forehand into net, Zverev had the first break of the second set and a 3-1 advantage.
By the time the defending champion confirmed the break, Zverev had won 21 of 26 first-serve points snatching a 4-1 lead.
Serving for the match, Zverev tightened. Tsitsipas followed a forehand forward for break point then broke to get back on serve.
A revitalized Tsitsipas ripped a forehand sealing his third straight game for 5-all.
"I was up 6-3, 5-3, serving for the match," a disappointed Zverev told reporters. "So it should have been a three and three match, and then I would have been here about one-and-half hours ago. But now I'm going to go to Cincinnati. I'll do everything I can to prepare myself there and play well there."
Landing his first serve with command, Zverev held at 15 in the 11th game.
A brilliant backhand drop shot set up a dart of a forehand pass as a fired-up Tsitsipas pumped both fists holding to force the tie break.
For the fourth straight match, the world No. 27 would play a second-set tie break.
Fortune favored Tsitsipas when his shot crawled over the tape for a 2-1. Zverev mangled a forehand off the frame falling behind 1-3.
Pulsating shotmaking and paralyzing nerves popped up throughout the tie break. Tsitsipas saved match points at 5-6 and 8-9 blasting a big forehand into the corner.
Zverev fought off four set points, but on the fifth he was dragged wide on the backhand and misfired as the set went to the Greek.
Tsitsipas dug out of triple break point hole in the third game of the decider. Rattling out a forehand error, Zverev earned a fifth break point, but Tsitispas saved that too earning a hard-fought hold for 2-1.
The physicality of rallies seemed to take more of a toll on the teenager.
Staring down another break point in the fifth game, an apparently tiring Tsitsipas serve-and-volleyed.
The lanky Greek made two fine stab volleys but Zverev crunched a mid-court backhand pass down the line breaking for 3-2 with a shout.
Again Zverev had the lead and again he squandered it gifting back the break at love in the sixth game.
Tsitsipas stood tall saving a couple more break points holding for 5-4.
In the final game with the German serving to stay alive, Zverev made a fatal mistake when he failed to challenge a shot he landed on the sideline and was incorrectly called out. He double faulted on match point to end the pulsating contest in two hours and 27 minutes.
The Greek will bid for an ATP record on Saturday when he faces Kevin Anderson for a spot in Sunday's final. If he is successful he will become the youngest ATP player to record four Top 10 wins at the same event since the ATP World Tour was formed in 1990.