By AGONASport
Stefanos Tsitsipas lost 6-4 7-6 7-6 to world number nine John Isner of the United States in the round of 16 at Wimbledon.
The Greek teenager gave it his all in what was arguably the biggest match in Greek men’s tennis history. Both players were unbreakable on serve for the most part, with just one break of serve separating the two players throughout the match. That came with Tsitsipas serving at 4-4 in the first set, where he lost his service game after hitting two double faults. Isner would go on to serve out the set and take it 6-4.
Neither player faced a single break point in the second set, which went to a tiebreak. Tsitsipas would take a 3-1 lead in that tiebreak, but ultimately Isner would win it 10-8 after converting on his third set point. In the third set, Tsitsipas would save a match point serving down 4-5, and that set would eventually also go to a tiebreak. The big-serving American would take it 7-4 to advance to the quarterfinals. He will now face Canada’s Milos Raonic, the runner-up here back in 2016.
Isner had 22 aces, while Tsitsipas had 18. Isner hit 54 winners and 20 unforced errors, and Tsitsipas hit 40 winners and 12 unforced errors. Isner’s experience prevailed over the youthful Greek, as he stepped up his game when it mattered most and was able to win important points in tense moments. Nevertheless, Greek fans still have a lot to be proud of. Tsitsipas will now move up from his current career-high ranking of 35 to a new career-high of 32 in next week’s rankings. With few ranking points to defend for the remainder of the season, it is likely that Tsitsipas’ meteoric rise will only continue.
by Andreas Stamas
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