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CITI OPEN

August 2, 2019

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Washington D.C.

S. TSITSIPAS/B. Paire

7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You're into the semifinals again. In the last year, what part of your game do you feel has improved the most?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: My serve and my patience.

Q. There was more issues with your shoes today. I saw a lot of people getting confused. Can you explain what exactly is happening with your shoes? Is part of it breaking, your lace?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: My laces are breaking on the last hole. It happens when I'm sliding on the forehand side.

Q. Because the laces hit the ground?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Because my laces touch the ground. There's a friction. That causes the breakage of my shoelaces.

Q. Benoit seemed upset because there was a long delay.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: In a way he was right that it happened many times in the past. There is nothing I can do about it. The only thing is probably change my footwork, I don't know, stop doing that.

I mean, I've been struggling with it. One of few players that have been struggling with it. I'm not doing it on purpose. Some people think I'm doing it on purpose. It always happens in crucial moments like this when I'm really trying hard, giving everything out on the court, trying to get every single ball back. That's when it happens.

It's very irritating for me to keep playing with a shoe that's not tight. It can fall off at any moment during the rally. I mean, I think we saw that once in Barcelona it happened.

Q. Do you have other shoes ready to go as replacements?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I do have other shoes as a backup. Left shoes only.

Q. It's only a left shoe?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Only left.

Q. Did adidas send you more just left shoes?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, they do an extra, I don't know, four, five pairs.

Q. Just left shoes?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Just left shoes. We're working actually. I hope to fix it in the future.

Q. Obviously Benoit can often have theatrics on court. You understood why he was upset. When he was changing his shoes the next point, what were you thinking? How were you staying focused?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: That was funny. I mean, I didn't know whether I have to laugh or keep a serious face. It was hilarious.

Q. At the net had you a fun exchange. I assume everything is okay?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, we're good friend with him. I know him. We live in the same region, the south of France. We both practice there. He gets to come to the academy pretty often. So I know him pretty well.

He's different on court when he plays than what he's off court. There was nothing. He even told me there was nothing between me and him with the shoelace thing.

But the referee, I don't know, he can't really do anything, the referee. It's part of the game, as I said.

I know it can be frustrating sometimes when you take too much time, it's 40-all, there's a momentum in the match. I don't know what ATP has to do about it, but it's inside the rules.

Q. Nick just won his match. You'll play him next in the semifinals. You have never played singles before. Does it mean anything different to you now that you've played doubles with him, know him a little bit more as a person?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I mean, not really. It's not like he told me all of his game plans and tactics that he's going to use.

I don't know. So far he has been telling me that he's been inspired, so... I don't know. Nothing to add on that. He's a nice guy, I like him off court. He can do his stuff sometimes on court, which some people don't understand. It's just a matter of not dealing well with frustration and his nerves.

Yeah, but that's who he is. Everybody's different. I'm going to have to treat him as a different opponent tomorrow.

Q. You said you worked on your serve and patience in the last year. I understand how you work on your serve. How do you get more patient in a year?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: By just constructing the point a bit longer. Not going for crazy shots straightaway. Not overpowering my shots. Being a bit more mental and more patient in my thinking. Trying to analyze the game while I'm in the rally.

Q. As far as the on-court elements that Nick brings, what do you anticipate? He's a unique opponent. He does things that not everybody does on tour. When you are against him for the first time, what do you anticipate?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: That's the thing, he's unpredictable. You never know what to expect from him.

His serve I think is the biggest weapon in his game. He can just save a lot of opportunities, create a lot of opportunities with his serve. I mean, yeah in the rally he sometimes goes for crazy shots. As I said, unpredictable. He just seems very relaxed when he plays.

I'm going to have to be careful of his shot selection, trying to execute and not play his game, play my game.

Q. After tonight you will become No. 5 in the world. Take a second and think, the accomplishment from when you were a kid playing with a tennis racquet, can you ponder the journey, what it means to be that one next step higher?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Once you're in a certain position for a long time, you really crave for more. I'm happy that I'm in this position where I feel like I improved a little bit in something.

This one position difference might not feel a lot for some people, but for me it really means a lot because there has been a lot of hard work behind it. Just a lot of suffering in general.

I appreciate the fact, and I feel I deserve this position. Obviously, I mean, it means a lot for sure.

Q. Talk a little bit about your reading. You mentioned the other day after Wimbledon you were in your room reading some books. When you read books that weren't written in Greek, or Russian, in the original, you read them in translation, in English? What language did you read the Federer biography in?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I would read everything in English. I don't really read so much in Greek just because I'm never there, I never have the opportunity to go in the bookstore and buy a Greek book. Most of my books are in English.

I understand everything. I don't have difficulties reading a book in English. I really like it.

Q. (No microphone.)
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Most of them. I received plenty of books by fans. Some of them, I have my agent Nick go to the bookstore. He's helping a lot.

Q. You've been a star attraction in the night sessions here this week. Have you felt the appreciation of the crowd? Do you prefer playing night to day?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, I like night. I like night sessions because I feel like the energy is always different on a night session than on a day session. I've got plenty of Greek supporters out there today. They looked very excited, very pleased to see me do well out on the court.

Fans always bring a good energy when you're out on the court.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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