Dubai Duty Free tennis: I would love to hold that trophy one day, Tsitsipas says
21-year-old Greek rues missed chances after falling short of Dubai crown again
Dubai: Two-time losing finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas has insisted that he will have to pay attention to the minute details if he wants to avoid disappointments on the final day of a tournament.
A losing finalist to Roger Federer last year, Tsitsipas once again fell short 3-6, 4-6 against Novak Djokovic on Saturday at the end 28th edition of the Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open.
Going into the final on Saturday, Tsitsipas had been on an eight-match winning streak while winning 16 of the 17 sets in that time span – dropping the lone set against Jan-Lennard Struff in the quarter-finals on Thursday.
“I don’t really feel much honestly. I think I just felt more happy first year [2019] when I made the finals. For sure I’m proud of myself because I showed good discipline and I managed to play the same this year. But it’s kind of disappointing trying so hard and much and not really getting the final result that you want,” he said.
“For sure, I would love to see myself holding that trophy. Of course, he gave more than me and he deserves it,” Tsitsipas complimented.
The 21-year-old Greek, who also lost in straight sets against Federer last year, felt he could have done certain things better. “I just think that breakpoint in the first set could have some sort of a difference if I would just return that serve a bit more deep,” he pointed out.
“I did apply a lot of pressure on my return games in the beginning of the match and came very close [for a break]. He missed a couple of backhands and I just felt he was very stiff in the beginning. But, I didn’t really use that,” he shrugged.
The youngster, who next heads to the Philippines for Greece’s Davis Cup World Group II Play-offs in Manila on March 6-7, was mindful of Djokovic’s consistency as proved by the Serbian’s current 20-match winning streak. “I personally think it is possible. I am not surprised he has done it. I want to do it one day too,” Tsitsipas said.
“I think it’s a good combination of giving less than you have to on the court, having a good rehab, having a good in-between match scheduling, how well you recover after every match. Your diet, of course, plays an important role. Your mental state also matters, having a clear mental state, not having anything bother you. I’ve been playing some good tennis. Obviously I’ve never had the record that Djokovic has but I do think it’s possible. Of course, lots of respect to him for doing it so many times,” he added.