NEW DELHI: World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out in the second round at the Halle grass court tournament on Wednesday, while top-seeded Daniil Medvedev advanced to the quarter-finals, despite his admission that grass court specialists seem like "aliens" to him.
Tsitsipas, who has previously struggled in the tournament, suffered a 6-7 (7), 5-7 defeat at the hands of Chilean player Nicolas Jarry, ranked 28th in the world. This marks the third consecutive year that the Greek player has been eliminated in the second round of the Wimbledon warm-up event.
In a late match on Wednesday, local favourite Alexander Zverev secured a straight-set victory over Canadian Denis Shapovalov, winning 6-2, 6-4. The 26-year-old Zverev, who clinched the Olympic gold medal, has previously reached the finals at Halle in 2016 and 2017 but finished as the runner-up to Roger Federer on both occasions. He will now face Nicolas Jarry in the next round.
Earlier in the day, Daniil Medvedev overcame Serbian player Laslo Djere in a hard-fought match, prevailing with a 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory. The world number three, known for his struggles on grass, acknowledged the difficulties posed by the surface. Medvedev praised the grass court specialists, mentioning players like Roger Federer, who excel on this challenging terrain.
Reflecting on his own performance, Medvedev stated, "You can actually play a perfect match and lose on two tie-breaks, so it's a little bit strange for me." Despite the challenges, Medvedev expressed his admiration for the top players and their ability to succeed on grass courts, calling them "amazing." He expressed his happiness over the win and looked forward to his upcoming matches.
Having reached the runner-up position at Halle in 2022, losing to Hubert Hurkacz in straight sets, Medvedev is eager to improve his grass court performance. He has never advanced past the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, but he hopes to draw inspiration from the top players' achievements on this surface. In the next round, Medvedev will face Spanish eighth seed Roberto Bautista Agut.
It is worth noting that Medvedev was unable to participate in last year's Wimbledon due to the tournament's ban on Russian and Belarusian players. Despite facing early exits at the Australian Open and the French Open this year, Medvedev has already clinched five ATP titles, displaying his formidable skills and determination.
(With inputs from AFP)
