Stefanos Tsitsipas blasted through a tiebreaker to complete a satisfying 6-2, 7-6 win over Briton Cam Norrie to reach the Rome Masters fourth round on Monday.
The sixth seed who played the final here in 2022 against Novak Djokovic, could not have been more pleased with his performance to begin the concluding week of the bloated, new-look Masters, now extended to13 days.
“I’m glad to be in a happy place like today,” the Greek said. “It shows the level of tennis I can produce.”
Tsitsipas swept the opening set and turned up the heat in the second to finish in a sprint in the tiebreaker.
“I had patience and the determination to just hang in there,” the winner said. “I tried to make as many balls as I could; the match was starting to get very close.
Titstipas finished off Norrie on the first of five match points with a ripping forehand winner.
The Greek will next face off for a quarter-final spot when he plays Alex de Minaur after the Australian earned a 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4 victory over Felix Auger Aliassime in a three-hour third-round epic.
The Aussie fought back after losing the opening set to advance, profiting from 38 errors off the racquet of his Canadian opponent while finishing with 14 winners and 21 unforced errors.
He broke four times from a dozen chances.
“I’m happy with how I stayed in the match,” the Aussie said. “I was positive no matter what came my way.
I could have gone up a double break in the third set, but I got broken, I composed myself very well
“I’m content with the level I showed and I’m happy I was able to turn it around. I’m out here paying with the proper mindset.
“I can also play well in nice, hot conditions.”
de Minaur will have a big job ahead in the next round after beating Tsitsipas this season for the only time in 11 matches.
