Stefanos Tsitsipas thinks big, plays bigger in win over Roger Federer

MELBOURNE—Outside of Greece, Melbourne has often been considered to be the largest Greek community in the world. Tonight, over the course of three and 45 minutes of high-energy tennis, it witnessed and welcomed the grand arrival of a man Melbourne’s Greek populace will henceforth treat not merely as an honorary citizen, but perhaps even as royalty.

Just after 11:00 p.m., Stefanos Tsitsipas served to Roger Federer at 6-5 in the fourth-set tiebreaker. At this point, Tsitsipas led the match, 6-7 (11), 7-6 (3), 7-5. Quickly came the end, Federer missing a backhand. (Watch in the video above.) Tsitsipas paused and stood in amazement at what he had done on the way to the first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal of his career.

Two hours later, at 1:00 a.m., he entered the press room and said how he felt of that moment.

“A flashback of, I don't know, just happiness, pure happiness," he said. "It was a very emotional moment. It was something—a beginning of something really big. I felt joy. I felt happiness. I felt a huge relief going out of my shoulders. That moment is definitely something that I will never, ever, ever forget. This match point is going to stay, I'm pretty much sure, forever, for the rest of my life.”

Said Federer, “I lost to a better player who was playing very well tonight. Hung in there, gave himself chances at some point, stayed calm. It's not always easy, especially for younger guys. Credit to him for taking care of that.”

The quantitative aspect of this match revealed that in the second set, serving at 4-5, Tsitsipas had fought off three set points. He’d simultaneously leveled the match and withstood a Federer onslaught. As Bette Davis said in the movie All About Eve, another tale featuring a potential changing of the guard, “Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”

“I felt like I have to win the second set," said Federer. "I don't care how I do it, but I have to do it. Cost me the game tonight.”

The data also showed that Tsitsipas hit 62 winners and 36 unforced errors, close enough to the desired 2:1 ratio. Federer, in contrast, had 61 winners and glaring 55 unforced, including many 40 off his forehand.

But while in some matches, statistics tell much, in this instance, they were deeply secondary to the aggression and off-the-charts engagement Tsitsipas brought to an occasion he clearly greeted with delight. Certainly Tsitsipas felt that way about the meaning of data.

“Don't think of something extraordinary, like watching statistics, doing that kind of stuff,” he said. “No, I didn't do that. I was just watching matches, trying to understand the patterns and the way, the mental side as well, the way they think on the court.”

There is a spark inside this man, a passion for competing in front of people that makes him incredibly charismatic. Tsitsipas is a combination of his idol, Federer, mixed in with the lanky and loose freedom of Gustavo Kuerten, flavored with dashes of the young Pete Sampras. It’s an astounding mix of footwork, focus and danger.

“I guess so,” said Federer, when asked to evaluate how Tsitsipas compared to the great Swiss. “He has a one-handed backhand and I used to have long hair, too. Yeah, so maybe a little bit, sure.”

On the first point of tonight’s match, Federer chipped-and-charged off Tsitsipas’ second serve. The Greek responded with one of his favorite shots, a severely ripped and dipped crosscourt topspin backhand that earned him the point. Though later in that game, Tsitsipas would be warned and, on another point, penalized for taking too long to serve, it was clear that he was not intimidated—or at least he didn’t show it, even after losing two set points in the first set tiebreaker.

The parts and pieces are still coming together for Tsitsipas. His game plan seemed mostly based on hustle and opportunism, constantly on the prowl for balls he could lash, be it as approach shots—he went 48 for 68 at the net—or even groundstrokes he’d slash into corners.

“Playing these guys,” said Tsitsipas, “you always have to have a clear plan, know what you're doing on the court, otherwise you are pretty much screwed.”

Asked his plan versus Federer, Tsitsipas said, “If I tell you, it won’t be secret any more. I prefer not to say to it… thank you.”

Both tiebreakers were bizarre. Federer played the first with trademark imagination and execution, everything from a sublime drop shot at 9-all to serving and volleying on his second serve at 10-11. But in the second set breaker, after Tsitsipas took a 3-0 lead, Federer caught up to 3-3, then lost four straight points. Had he handed Tsitsipas a lifeline? Or had Tsitsipas been the one steering the ship all along?

In most cases, Federer wields his racquet like a scalpel, carving his opponents into shreds. He’s often done that quite effectively versus the rather rigid two-handers of this era, frequently making opponents feel awkward with his sharp, low chipped backhand. But Tsitsipas reacted quite differently to this Federer signature shot, either running around it to whip an inside-in forehand or driving his one-handed up-the-line and crosscourt. It helped him gain both entrée and control of many a rally in ways that frequently shook Federer.

Certainly Federer has been beaten over the years by his share of craftsman-like grinders or prosaic power players. But when it comes to instinct, artistry and an appetite for the bold, opportunistic step forward, Federer has long been unsurpassed. Tsitsipas tonight was engaged in a form of tennis patricide. Or as Tsitsipas put it, “My idol today became pretty much my rival.”

As Federer had slain one man of Greek descent, Sampras, in the round of 16 at Wimbledon in 2001, so it was Tsitsipas’ turn this evening.  or what it’s worth, Tsitsipas and Sampras were both born on August 12. At Wimbledon last summer, Tsitsipas had studied that Sampras-Federer match.

“That was fourth round, as well,” said Tsitsipas. “That's crazy. What a coincidence.”

Tsitsipas wasn’t the only who had a flashback this evening. In the wake of this match, I recalled the jubilance of the 19-year-old Federer, sitting in the Wimbledon interview room just after he’d beaten Sampras more than 17 years ago. These transitional moments are stirring, all part of the cycle of tennis life.

“There is no greater fame for a man than that which he wins with his footwork or the skill of his hands,” another Greek man once wrote. As Tsitsipas’ excellent tennis adventure continues, he would likely smile upon learning where this quote comes from: the philosopher Homer’s epic, The Odyssey.

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