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WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – Stefanos Tsitsipas was only 2 years old when Roger Federer, then 19, with a balletic grace, announced himself in the world of tennis at Wimbledon in 2001 knocking out seven-time champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round.
Now 36, Federer has supplanted Sampras as Wimbledon 's greatest male champion and looks set to extend his record of eight singles titles to the All England Club, sliding one lap to the next. other.
So it's no wonder that Tsisipas, now 19 years old and one of the emerging stars of the game, was keen to reinstate the 2001 Federer match against Sampras last week, before debuting in the main draw of Wimbledon. And he watched him again and again, taking note of Federer's speed, net play, service, variety of tactics and, most importantly, his coolness. "[He has] this will be very quiet that it brings on the ground.If everything goes wrong, it would seem that everything is perfect and that everything will be fine," said the Tsitsipas of 6 feet 4 inches. "When you look at Federer, it's like the best thing on TV." Federer has such a good game for the grass … I was inspired … I wanted to play exactly like him and do the same results. "
The highest-ranked player in Greece (a career-high No. 35), Tsitsipas is barely studying Federer alone for advice. Denis Shapovalov, 19, of Canada, too.
After his victory in the first round last week, Shapovalov, 25th in the standings, credits part of his improvement to the Swiss team, explaining: I've tried to look at a lot of Roger – how he plays on the grass, how he enters, the chips, how he disturbs the players on the surface. "
In a sense, this is one more point that belongs to the list of Federer's contributions to tennis in his retirement: 20 Grand Slam titles (and counting), eight Wimbledon titles (and counting). and unofficial coach and mentor to the next generation who venerates and hopes to someday supplant him, like Sampras almost two decades ago.
That will not happen here, at least not this year, for Tsitsipas or Shapovalov But the tournament marked a step forward for everyone
Tsitsipas, whose Greek father and Russian mother are both tennis coaches, set a goal early in the year to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, and although his debut at Wimbledon ended on Monday, when he ran into big serve and 6-foot-10 John Isner's start-stop game, Tsitsipas he is said to be happy to have achieved his goal
I am moved by the 16th of Grand Slam final that I dreamed of winning a day, "said Tsitsipas. "I can only pick up some positives from this Grand Slam."
Shapovalov's Wimbledon finished in the second round
Federer was first on Center Court on Monday for what is called Wimbledon's "Manic Monday". The other players compete for a place in the quarter-finals.
This was the tennis for the wolverines: a treat. And for the 14,000 spectators with the Center Court tickets, there have been consecutive matches between Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal – the best of their generation and arguably the history of tennis, with 60 Grand Championships Slam and 17 Wimbledon singles titles among them.
The three opponents outclassed easily manipulated.
Federer, tournament champion and defending champion of the tournament, swept the first set against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in just 16 minutes, allowing only five points in six games. The chair umpire intoned "Game, Federer" so often, that he began to sound like a chorus of a song.
Mannarino steadied in the second set to repel the inevitable, but Federer moved away for a 6-0, 7-5, 6-4 win.
Obviously discouraged, Mannarino later stated that he was not shaken by the Center Court's floodlights nor by the size of the crowd. "The only thing different, he said, is that it's Federer in front of me."
In many ways, Switzerland was playing against a standard that it's 39; is attached to the grass, become its natural habitat. He served 12 aces and no double faults. And he won the point 90 percent of the time he landed his first serve. With its 44 winners (18 for Mannarino), all are the key words of a player in full command.
Federer seemed happy that his opponent had raised his level in the second set after a first set that he described as "almost too easy". This has forced him to work a little harder to break the service and create opportunities to wrap up the match with efficiency that should be useful to him in future rounds.
Williams, looking for an eighth title at Wimbledon, was even more effective. "Evgeniya Rodina, 6-2, 6-2." I feel like I'm coming to where I want to be, "said Williams, 36, who is attending her fourth tournament since her victory. she came back from a maternal leave of 13 months
Nadal, who plays at a slower pace, more deliberate, nor did she have any problem with Jiri Vesely, 93rd, dismissing him, 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, in less than two hours
While the men are out on Tuesday at Wimbledon, the women are coming back for their quarter-final ls. Williams' championship run on Saturday, and another Grand Slam title, seems more certain at every turn.
While Williams has 23 major championships, the other seven women have combined only three: Angelique Kerber has won two (Australian Open 2016 and 2016 US Open) and Jelena Ostapenko (2017 French Open) ). Kerber and Ostapenko are both in the top half of the table, while Williams is in the bottom half
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