It wasn’t easy, world No. 6 Tsitsipas says of Greece Davis Cup triumph vs PH | Inquirer Sports

It wasn’t easy, world No. 6 Tsitsipas says of Greece Davis Cup triumph vs PH

/ 04:30 AM March 08, 2020

Stefanos Tsitsipas says he had to be mentally sharp against the Filipinos. —AP

It may not have looked like it, but Stefanos Tsitsipas had a hard time during the Davis Cup weekend.

While the world No. 6 played true to his lofty billing, brandishing his high-level game that both delighted the crowd and intimidated his Filipino opponents, Tsitsipas admitted having to work hard for points over the weekend.

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“It’s kind of seem easy for me, but it’s not,” said Tsitsipas after a 6-2, 6-1 win over PH No. 1 Jeson Patrombon in the reverse singles that clinched the tie for Greece on Saturday.

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On Friday, he dismissed Alberto Lim Jr. by the same score to set the tone for Greece in its Davis Cup World Group 2 showdown with the Philippines.

“I knew deep inside that I have to work for the points,” Tsitsipas said. “It’s a mental game, you got to work for the points and not wait for easy mistakes.”

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All through the tie, “I just stayed pretty consistent,” he said.

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The Filipinos did not. And that made the difference in the 3-1 series.

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The Filipinos did have their moment of glory after Francis Casey Alcantara and Ruben Gonzales staved off a shutout when they defeated Markos Kalovelonis and Petros Tsitsipas, 7-6 (5), 6-4.

Gonzales said the Greeks brought out the best in them.

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“There’s a big reason why we played very well [and] it’s because of them,” Gonzales said.

Petros, Stefanos’ 19-year-old brother, admired the gallant stand put up by the hosts in the doubles match.

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“They played very well. They played at a top level,” Petros said. “Especially Ruben and Francis, he was very quick at the net. They got good chemistry.”

TAGS: Davis Cup, JESON PATROMBON, Sports, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Tennis

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