We would think that the big smasher Stefanos Tsitsipas can reach up into the sky, and then, smash his overhead near the lines. The Greek blew out the former top 5 player Kevin Anderson 6-1, 6-3. That was very surprising, not because Anderson lost, but because the tall South African usually holds all the time. He has two gigantic serves. But, in this match at the Western & Southern Open (being played at the US Open site), Anderson was way off, while Tsitsipas was super confident.
Anderson has been around for many years, and over the next couple months, he will be back, knocking out some phenomenal players. He is aging, but he does focus, and he just wants to play. He is amongst the players who are addicted to tennis.
Two years ago many people did not know who Tsitsipas was. Well, now, many folks have watched him, and they can see that his punching forehand, his heavy backhand and his high-bouncing serves, can rattle the cage. Tsitsipas does smile, and he can sprint, and touch the lines.
He will play against American John Isner today in the last match. Isner was very thrilled that he could play again at a real tournament. Another guy with a very huge first serve, Isner beat Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets. He has put together some terrific years on hard courts. He recently said that he can go super deep at Western & Southern Open and the US Open. During press conferences, he can be enthusiastic, but when he loses, he was dreadful. Either way, to return to the top 20, he has to be patient and think about his approach in the next few points He has to be thoughtful and try to push Tsitsipas with a lot of variety. It should be a thrilling match.
Belgian David Goffin had a solid day, beating the grinder Borna Coric in two tough sets. Goffin has a lot of variety. To reach the top 10, he must swing harder. Neither Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer are here, so in this tournament, there are a solid 10 guys who can win this title. It’s a long way to go but the winner can jump in the ocean and celebrate.