Roland-Garros: “I had to move my ass!” confides Tsitsipas, who is struggling to join Alcaraz in the quarter-finals

Stefanos Tsitsipas prend rendez-vous en quart, pour un sommet contre Alcaraz. MAXPPP – MOHAMMED BADRA

Tsitsipas draws against the Italian Arnaldi and makes an appointment with the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, 9th in the world, was seriously manhandled on Sunday by the Italian Matteo Arnaldi (35th), but the 2021 finalist ended up winning 3-6, 7- 6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros. "I had to get off my ass", Tsitsipas launched in French in front of the audience at the Suzanne-Lenglen court.

“There was quality in my shots, but he didn't give up. He pushed me to my limits and I can say that he is one of the most difficult opponents I have faced this season on clay", he continued.

The 25-year-old Greek, winner this year of his third Monte-Carlo, will face Carlos Alcaraz (3rd) or Felix Auger-Aliassime (21st) on Tuesday to try to climb into the last four of the Major on clay. Facing Arnaldi, winner in the 3rd round of Andrey Rublev (6th), Tsitsipas was taken by surprise and conceded the first round.

With the support of the public

"I was very frustrated because I was trying my best, but I wasn't succeeding. Fortunately, my fighting spirit made the difference", analyzed Tsitsipas. The standoff took place in the second set which lasted 76 minutes: trailing 5-3, Tsitsipas managed to break the break when Arnaldi served at 5-4 for the set.

By winning the tie break, he broke the dike: Arnaldi continued to fight, but without managing to prevent his opponent from piling up the games until victory . "When I took his serve at 5-4 in the second set, I felt that there, with the public, we could achieve something" , Tsistipas emphasized. The joy he let explode on the court once he won the match point spoke volumes about the challenge he had just taken on.