Live commentary Roberto Carballes Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipas (Roland Garros 2023, 2nd round)

12:05

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3-6, 1-2

Tsitsipas’ service game is not easy either and is only decided on the debut. But the favorite dominates there and can make it 2-1. As of now, everything is in order in the second set – no break yet.

12:01

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3-6, 1-1

In the longest rally of the match, Tsitsipas almost defeated his opponent and went to the net, but Carballé’s Baena saved himself with a powerful and flat backhand that Tsitsipas couldn’t put back. The next point also goes to the world number 57, who gets through his service game after all.

11:59

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3: 6, 0: 1

At first it looked like Carballés Baena had a solid hold, but things got more difficult after a double fault. Now it’s time to start.

11:55

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3: 6, 0: 1

After two point losses and a 0:30 deficit, Tsitsipas turned the first service game of the second set into a good one, beating two winners and his third ace overall to win the game.

11:54

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3-6, 0-0

The statistics of the first set go to the fifth in the world rankings: He clearly hit more winners (12:8) and didn’t make as many mistakes without pressure as his opponent (8:11).

11:53

sentence conclusion

STefanos Tsitsipas wins the first set against Spanish underdog Roberto Carballés Baena 6-3. The Greek benefited from an early break and the fact that he finally won his first two very tight and competitive service games. Around the middle of the set, the Greek then got stronger in a playful way and broke himself with a 5:3 lead to win the set, which he deserved.

11:51

Roberto Carballés Baena 3-6 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Tsitsipas dominates the rally, distributes the balls well and sends his opponent back and forth. Carballés Baena wants to go around the backhand and free himself from the pressure with a placed forehand, but just misses the shot. Set for the favorite from Greece!

11:49

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3:5

No, break and set ball for Tsitsipas! Although Carballés Baena successfully completed the net with the forehand, a cross backhand had just flown into the side. The referee makes sure for herself, but the ball was out of bounds.

11:48

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3:5

Service winner at 15:30 and backhand winner longline into the orphaned forehand corner of Tsitsipas at 30:30. Has the danger been averted for now?

11:47

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3:5

And now, from a Spanish point of view, the sentence could quickly go by. Longline he sends a backhand under the edge of the net, Tsitsipas had also won the rally before that. 0:30.

11:46

Roberto Carballés Baena – Stefanos Tsitsipias 3:5

The next rally is impressive – from both sides. Carballés Baena dominates first, but Tsitsipas can get his backhand stop. The Greek cannot be overcome at the net and uses a forehand volley to win the game. It was his third winner in that game.

11:44

Roberto Carballés Baena 3-4 Stefanos Tsitsipias

The 24-year-old from Athens placed the following smash winner almost exactly in the same place after he had hit the first smash too carefully in the middle.

11:43

Roberto Carballés Baena 3-4 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Tsitsipas goes to the net, brings an actually very feasible forehand volley there, but not over this one. From a central position, he then works extremely precisely with a forehand, sending it into the corner of his opponent’s backhand side.

11:41

Roberto Carballés Baena 3-4 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Carballés Baena wins the first game to a clean sheet. The Spaniard made the four points in a row thanks to weak returns from Tsitsipas and a backhand stop, which he put strongly behind the net.

11:38

Roberto Carballés Baena 2-4 Stefanos Tsitsipias

For the first time, Tsitsipas wins a service game with confidence, only allowing his opponent to win a point early after a passing shot.

11:37

Roberto Carballés Baena 2-3 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Until the very end, however, Tsitsipas was the player who was minimally more prone to making mistakes, but now his Spanish opponent carelessly gives away two baseline shots. All in all, both actors are not doing too much.

11:36

Roberto Carballés Baena 2-3 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Carballés Baena passes advanced Tsitsipas strongly with a longline forehand. To date, the Greek has beaten more winners (8:6).

11:34

Roberto Carballés Baena 2-3 Stefanos Tsitsipias

The much more competitive games so far have been Tsitsipas’ service games, both of which started and were only narrowly won by the favored Greek. Carballés Baena clearly wins his service game as at the beginning of 15 – but runs after the service game in between.

11:32

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-3 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Tsitsipas gets the next chance to make it 3-1 and then uses it. He hits the second service to the outside, Carballés Baena’s backhand return flies too far.

11:30

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Roberto Carballé’s Baena shows that he can do the same and in turn defends Tsitsipas’ cue ball with a backhand pass ball down the line.

11:29

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipias

The next breakball for Carballés Baena, again the favorite defends it. The Spaniard has moved to the net, Tsitsipas counters this with a backhand pass that just flies cross into the field – a strong blow!

11:28

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipias

But Tsitsipas’ second service game will also be decided on the debut. With a forehand, the ball had jumped a little unnaturally beforehand.

11:27

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipias

No. First the 30-year-old puts too much pressure on a backhand cross, then Tsitsipas fires the next ace to the outside.

11:26

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Tsitsipas slams the first ace of the match onto the sand, but immediately makes a double mistake. 15:30, does Carballés Baena have any immediate chances of a re-break?

11:24

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-2 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Tsitsipas has now arrived in this match so slowly and knows how to play his strengths well. When a defensive shot from Carballés Baena is practically in the air after impact, the Greek thunders a great forehand precisely into the far corner, breakball. With this, Carballés Baena goes around the backhand, but takes a bit too much risk with the inside-out shot and misses. Break for Tsitsipas!

11:22

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-1 Stefanos Tsitsipias

After Tsitsipas hits a forehand return with the frame, the next rally is interrupted by the referee – due to an unexpected movement of a linesman and a loud noise. However, that didn’t really bother either player.

11:20

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-1 Stefanos Tsitsipias

And Tsitsipas is slowly gaining security. First he forces his opponent to make a mistake with a strong cross forehand, in the following rally he makes it without opponent pressure. 0:30.

11:18

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-1 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Now Tsitsipas acts braver and that is rewarded. When he makes his debut, he goes to the net and easily sends a forehand volley winner into the field, when he has an advantage he can build up the rally well and finally shoot a well-placed forehand into the Spaniard’s open backhand side. A bit bumpy, but the first service game is also in the sack for the favorite.

11:16

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-0 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Because Carballés Baena loses two rallies with unforced errors, Tsitsipas has a cue ball, but in turn gives it up quite carelessly.

11:14

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-0 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Titsipas’ start in this match is not particularly promising. After a double fault he is 15:30 behind.

11:12

Roberto Carballés Baena 1-0 Stefanos Tsitsipias

Because Carballés Baena puts a backhand in the net, Tsitsipas can score a point in the return game. A backhand slice flies too short into the net for the Greek, so a safe game goes to the server from Tenerife.

11:11

Roberto Carballés Baena 0-0 Stefanos Tsitsipias

The Spanish outsider makes the first point with a good first serve, Tsitsipas returns to the end. A forehand winner follows to 30:0.

11:10

Dinner is served

It starts with a pleasant 18 degrees and only half of the sun shines on the court, Carballés Baena will be served first.

11:07

head to head

The two have only met once to date and that was five years ago. In Estoril, Portugal, Tsitsipas won after three sets when he was 19 on clay court. Meanwhile, the protagonists have arrived at Roland Garros’ second largest stadium and are currently warming up.

11:03

Tournament winner Carballés Baena

But first, Titsipas has to fulfill today’s mandatory task against the Spanish challenger. And the 30-year-old should not be underestimated, in Marrakech (ATP250) he surprisingly won the second ATP title of his long career. But he didn’t really take the momentum with him, after that it was mostly early defeats. In the world rankings, however, he improved from 82nd place to 49th place by winning the tournament – and now 57th place.

10:57

Tournament path

The tournament tree initially means well with Tsitsipas. Before the quarter-finals, he cannot meet a top ten player because Felix Auger-Aliassime was eliminated in the first round. If he wants to reach the Roland Garros final like in 2021, he will in all likelihood have to knock out Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Incidentally, the winner of the duel Diego Schwartzman – Nuno Borges would be waiting in round three.

10:51

Tistsipas still without a coup

The favored Greek has been largely solid in the clay court season so far, winning 14 of his 18 matches. But he hasn’t landed the big coup yet, reached the final at the ATP500 tournament in Barcelona, ​​but failed there against Carlos Alcaraz. In the three Masters tournaments on clay, three times ended before the final, once just before in the semi-finals (Rome, against Medvedev) and twice in the quarter-finals. In Madrid, for example, he lost to Jan-Lennard Struff, who was a sensation finalist at the time and had already been eliminated in Roland Garros.

10:45

Feasible in the first round

Both players didn’t have to take a big hurdle in round one. Carballés Baena, himself number 57 in the world, easily defeated number 242 Emilio Nava in three sets. Stefanos Tsitsipas even had the world number 455. to do and surprisingly had a little trouble. He gave up a set and had to go into the tie-break in the decisive fourth round, but ultimately won 7: 5, 6: 3, 4: 6, 7: 6 (9: 7).

10:33

Welcome

Good day and welcome to the start of the second round of the French Open! Stefanos Tsitsipas is challenged by Spanish outsider Roberto Carballés Baena. The match will start at around 11 a.m. on Court Suzanne Lenglen.

ttn-9