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PARIS (Reuters) – Stefanos Tsitsipas said he regretted not playing his usual instinctual game earlier in his 6-3 6-2 5-7 4-6 6-1 semi-final loss to world number one Novak Djokovic at the Open. from France on Friday. .
The Greek, seeded fifth at Roland Garros, recovered from the abyss to force the Serb to make the decision, where a recent injury resurfaced and wiped out the chances of the tired Tsitsipas.
The world number six, however, believes he made a “big mistake” by not being more instinctive early in the game on the court Philippe Chatrier.
“I wish I could have imagined certain things earlier which, I don’t know, felt like it was a total demolition, the fact that I tried those things in practice and tried to implement them in the match,” Tsitsipas, who saved a match point in the third set, he said at a press conference.
“It was something new. I wish I hadn’t tried these things and tried to keep my basic, ordinary way of feeling the ball and also trying to dictate the game.
“I think it was a big mistake today, that I tried this for two sets in a row, then I went back to my old way of doing things.”
That more instinctive approach worked far better for the 22-year-old, who began to convert his break points, changing course dramatically and forcing Djokovic to handle the barricades until the Greek ran out of strength.
“It gave me a really difficult time on the pitch. Unfortunately, towards the end of the match, an injury that I had during my match in Rome came back,” Tsitsipas said.
“As you saw, it was a good comeback, and I think I played great tennis after that, except in the fifth set, for which I think my body was not ready,” he added.
“Physically I was not really there.”
Tsitsipas hoped to become the first Greek to reach a Grand Slam final and while the loss would have hurt him, it was a notable improvement from his last semi-final appearance in a Major when he was thrashed 6-2 6-4 6-0 by Rafael Nadal at the Australian Open last year.
“Well if I think about the Australian Open, I was still a kid, and now I’m turning into an adult,” Tsitsipas said.
“My way of thinking has changed. I have matured. I have been through a lot. I have grown from the people around me, my relationships, people in general …
“I have, of course, more experience in my pocket than before. I have played matches. I have experienced different things. I know when something is right or not, and I think I can dictate it sooner.”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
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