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DUBAI DUTY FREE TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS

February 27, 2020

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

S. TSITSIPAS/J. Struff

4-6, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty tough to beat, isn't he?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yes, he is. You know, I was struggling with my return today. I don't know what was wrong with it. I kept hitting the ball out of position, kind of far from me, sometimes close from me. I couldn't really find enough space to get that right momentum to hit the ball. I think that was the biggest struggle today. I tried changing a little bit my return. Besides that, let's not talk about the return.

I think I'm actually pretty proud that I fought so hard, played with attention when I had to. When I got the break in the third set I knew that was my time to close the match now. I did it in perfect style.

Q. You talked this week about being tired. Probably wouldn't have appreciated having a long three-setter tonight.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: First set, you mean?

Q. A long three-set match today, you've been tired all week...
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yes, I did feel a bit tired when I started the match. Just couldn't put pressure on myself. That's a sign of fatigue. Besides that I still managed to find ways to fight.

It wouldn't be an excuse even if I would lose, that I was tired. It's not an excuse. I should be in charge of that. It's my rehab that I got to take care of. I got to be ready for every single match.

I mean, last year I've had this - how you call it - the blackouts? Sorry, not blackouts, but burnouts. I've tried to manage my matches so that I won't be in the same position again.

Q. Could you describe what you mean by 'burnouts'?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Burnout is like anything. Burnout could be like in your job, when you go to a job every single day consecutively, day by day, you don't really have many days off. Burnout is when you keep repeating, doing the same thing over and over again.

At some point mentally you can't take it any more. You feel like you're unable to process what's happening with a clear picture. You keep doing mistakes that you wouldn't otherwise do.

I think it's also linked with your attention span and how refreshed you feel in general. So far I haven't been there in a year now. Things are looking okay, yeah.

Q. Were you ever in a position where you felt that you didn't want to play a tournament because you felt pressure to play or are you in full control of your schedule?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I think I shared this story last week when I had to play Marseille, not this year, last year, when I won Marseille for the first time. I wasn't ready to play that tournament at all. I actually didn't even practice before the tournament. I was resting for five, six days, didn't hit a single ball.

I had took the train to Marseille that day, I remember. The next day I had to play doubles with my brother. I played really bad that doubles match simply because I didn't hit a single ball. Day after I had to play singles.

I was really stressed. Am I going to be able to perform? At the end I won the tournament which came as a surprise.

Q. So are you in full control of your schedule or...
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Scheduling is also very important when you have your time off, when you practice. My schedule this year is quite different from last year's. I'm going to try to focus more on 500 events, Masters 1000s, Grand Slams, not that many 250s, although I do have few, but not that many.

It also depends how the year goes. If you feel like you're lacking matches, you might as well play more 250s. You can get points there if you get a first-round bye. You're straight into the second round. It's quite beneficial.

It also depends, as I said, in how you feel: if you feel tired or not, if you're able to play more. Sure, I'll play more, I don't mind.

Q. You said you were tired earlier in the press conference. You also appeared really calm through the match. Was that because you were too tired to be animated?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: You said it (smiling). Yes, sure, that was the reason. I don't have anything to add.

Q. Any problem with your foot? You looked at it a number of times, slipped three or four times.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, I have little bit pain on my toe. When I slide sometimes I feel pain.

Q. You slowed the game down intentionally today, played much slower, not hitting the ball as hard. Is it a strategy?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I was not hitting the ball strong, you said?

Q. You were slowing the pace down.
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Yeah, I know he likes fast rallies. His game is a very indoor-style game. He serves and volleys. He takes the ball early. He has a very aggressive game. I tried to slow down the game, make him play more, make it physical.

Q. Dan Evans next. What sort of challenge does he present tomorrow?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I guess we share some similarities: we both play one-handed backhand. Yeah, he's been doing well. Most of his results, from what I remember in the past, were good in grass courts. He's a grass court master. Also hard courts, too, fast surfaces.

Yeah, no, he obviously deserves his spot in the semifinals. I need to be ready for that battle because you don't know what he's going to present and put out there tomorrow. Just got to be ready, start strong, take the lead.

Q. Where do you rank Struff's serve compared to the big servers of the game?
STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: For sure in the top 10, yeah.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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