Stefanos Tsitsipas comments on surviving J.J. Wolf scare in Miami
World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas said he didn’t expect an easy match against J.J. Wolf even though he easily defeated the American when they met in Acapulco last month. Tsitsipas, seeded at No. 3, overcame Wolf 6-4 6-7 (5) 6-1 in the Miami Masters second round.
Last month, Tsitsipas handed Wolf a 6-1 6-0 loss in Acapulco. Tsitsipas now owns a 2-0 head-to-head against rising American star Wolf. “Always expect him to play the match of his life. He had nothing to lose,” Tsitsipas said of his mindset entering his Miami opener, per the ATP Tour website.
“I very much know how to handle situations like this, speaking from experience. It kind of worked in the third set. I think letting go and relaxing a bit helped me a lot and gave me that win.”
Tsitsipas beat Wolf to set up an Alex de Minaur match
The first break point of the match was seen in the 10th game, when Tsitsipas broke Wolf to win the first set.
After losing the first set, Wolf bounced back at the start of the second set as he took an early 2-0 lead. However, Wolf’s lead was short-lived as Tsitsipas broke back in the sixth game and the set eventually went into a tie-break.
Tsitsipas led 5-4 through the first nine points of the tie-break but Wolf then won three points in a row to force a decider. Tsitsipas reacted well to losing the second set, having started the third set with back-to-back breaks and a 3-0 lead.
Wolf got one break back in the fourth game but Tsitsipas responded by claiming back-to-back breaks and sealing a three-seet win. Tsitsipas plays de Minaur in the Miami third round. “He’s a fighter,” Tsitsipas said of de Minaur.
“I really hope to bring out the same kind of level that I brought in the third set, and maintain that throughout the match.”
