Tsitsipas ends Medvedev run to book last four spot in French Open
PARIS (Reuters) – Fifth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas beat world number two Daniil Medvedev in straight sets on Tuesday to advance to the French Open semi-finals for the second straight year and end the Russian's surprise run on the Parisian clay.
The Greek got revenge for his Australian Open semi-final loss to the Russian this year and improved his Grand Slam quarter-final record to 4-0 with a 6-3 7-6(3) 7-5 win that teed up a last-four clash against Germany's Alexander Zverev.
"It was a very close match and we both served pretty well," Tsitsipas said. "It was intense.
"I was playing against one of the best guys on the tour. I had to keep up the intensity and elevate my game throughout the entire match. I am happy to keep repeating, trying to go further."
Yet having finally found his feet on the red dirt, he had few chances against the 22-year-old Tsitsipas, who has had a superb clay season so far.
Tsitsipas, a winner in Lyon and Monte Carlo on clay this year, wrongfooted the Russian to convert his first break point for 3-1 lead as he comfortably held serve in the first set.
Medvedev, who made 44 unforced errors in the match, almost twice as many as the Greek, saved a Tsitsipas set point at 5-2 but the fifth seed wrapped it up a game later with a volley.
Tsitsipas then won 11 straight points to break the Russian again early in the second set and cruise to a 3-1 lead.
Yet his opponent launched a comeback, bagging his own first break en route to a three-game run.
Medvedev improved his first-serve percentage and even carved out two set points but his opponent saved them to hold and force a tiebreak.
Tsitsipas survived his second set wobble to clinch it with a volley on his first set point.
The pair traded breaks in the third before Tsitsipas broke again, winning on his first match point following an underarm serve from Medvedev.