By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Friday October 18, 2024
Jiri Lehecka took out Stefanos Tsitsipas for his 7th Top 20 win of the season in Antwerp.
Photo Source: European Open
2024 could be the year that Stefanos Tsitsipas misses out on the ATP Finals for the first time since 2018. The Greek was eliminated by Jiri Lehecka in quarterfinal action at the European Open, 6-4 6-4, and remains 745 points outside of the cut for the eighth and final spot (in 12th).
Lehecka won’t be playing in Turin this year either, but the Czech rides on in Antwerp, where he’ll face American Marcos Giron for a spot in the final.
The 22-year-old never faced a break point against Tsitsipas, and converted a single break in each set to defeat the former World No.3 for the second time in two meetings this year.
33rd-ranked Lehecka improves to 27-15 on the season, and 7-6 against the Top 20.
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, drops to 40-20 on the season, with one title (at Monte-Carlo, where he is a three-time champ).
In other action in Antwerp on Friday, Hugo Gaston earned his first Top 10 win (1-4 overall vs Top 10), defeating top-seeded Alex de Minaur to hand the Aussie’s hopes of reaching the ATP Finals in Turin a blow.
Gaston battled through a 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 triumph to set a semifinal clash with Roberto Bautista Agut. The Frenchman did it in style, connecting on one of the most creative ATP hot shots of 2024.
De Minaur is currently ninth in the Race to Turin standings, 275 points behind 8th place Andrey Rublev, who also lost today (to Stan Wawrinka in Stockholm).