World number four Stefanos Tsitsipas continues his run in Melbourne.
In the second round of the Australian Open, the Greek tennis player convincingly beat the local favorite Rinky Hijikata (6:3, 6:0, 6:2).
21-year-old Hijikata was a wild card in the draw. He took part in the second round of the Grand Slam for the first time.
An hour and a half were enough for Stefanos Tsitsipas, who is a three-time semi-finalist in Melbourne, to close the match in three sets. He didn’t give No. 169 a chance with his powerful shots and hit 30 winners in total.
In an interview on the court after the match, Tsitsipas seemed satisfied:
“I felt nice. The ball was coming out of the racquet good. I enjoyed my game throughout the match. I have positive memories with Rod Laver Arena”.
Backhand also worked successfully for the Greek in today’s match. Thanks to this, Hijikata made mistakes in important moments. Stef saved all five breakpoints.
The next opponent for Stefanos will be from the Netherlands: It’s either Tallon Griekspoor or Botic van de Zandschulp.
Tsitsipas is actively involved in the race to win his debut Grand Slam title. If he manages to win the championship in Melbourne, in addition to the title, he will also take first place in the world ranking.
