AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 13, 2021

Stefanos Tsitsipas

Press Conference

S. TSITSIPAS/M. Ymer

6-4, 6-1, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You played your quarantine practice partner today. Can you give us your thoughts on how that match went, please?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Clean game. I think I kept things simple, didn't complicate whatever tactics or whatever use of my game I wanted to execute today. I'd say I entered a little bit stressed in the match. I don't know why, for which reasons, but over time I got used to the conditions, to the big court, and I think I managed to sustain my level and even raise my level once I got a few breaks ahead. That gave me a lot of confidence, and I felt like I was on top of my game at that point.

Q. Can you talk about how the atmosphere changed without the fans and how that affected you?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: You know, I was practicing with Mikael during our quarantine we had to undergo for 14 days, so it kind of reminded me of the same conditions as the quarantine. It wasn't much different.

I played a lot of practice sets with him, which obviously helped, and it was similar conditions for me today entering the court playing the third-round match in pretty much the same conditions as during quarantine.

The crowd, I don't know if the crowd would make it any different. My game was there, and that's the most important thing for me.

Q. Have you had to adjust anything in your game, and what would that be? Or are you totally satisfied at the moment?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: There are a few things. For sure there's always room for growth and getting better. But this is something personal, something that I discuss with my team, I'm not sure with the media.

Q. At this point you don't know if it's going to be Khachanov or Berrettini. What are your thoughts on both of them?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: They both have similar game style, serve, trying to take the forehand from early on and press. They're aggressive players. I don't think they are as aggressive as some serve-and-volleyers, for example, who like to serve-and-volley and keep it really, really aggressive. They have a very modernized, very fast game, and I've played both of them. I think our level of tennis is pretty much the same, so it all comes to fighting and just determination, I think.

Q. On the point of the crowds and the lack of the crowds, does it take you a while to get used to one or the other?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: It's all in the head. It's only mental.

Q. How would you describe the challenge when you know that Djokovic and Nadal are still in the draw, and to what degree do you watch them when you're not playing?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I might watch them a little bit on TV if it happens that the TV is on or the right channel is on. Otherwise I just switch to History Channel.

Q. Tennis history or different history?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: Definitely not tennis history. I think I have enough of tennis being in here every single day.

Q. On that point, did you see any of Novak's match yesterday and see him struggling with injury? Are you aware of that, and how does that kind of factor into your brain when you're seeing such a big champion here look like he might not be able to get through the tournament?

STEFANOS TSITSIPAS: I heard some things from different people. I didn't watch the match. I think it was too late. It was bedtime for me. It went until really late, a five-setter. I don't know, I hear he played really well in the fifth. I don't have much more information. I heard he was kind of injured. I'm not even sure.

It happens to everyone. I don't know if he is actually injured. I struggled with an injury at my French Open semifinal against him actually, which didn't end really well. I fought really hard, and after five sets, it hurts a lot knowing that the injury that was quite okay at the time got worse.

We have to wait and see. I don't know. Right now I'm entirely focusing on myself and on my performance and what's happening around me. I don't pay too much attention on external things like this.