In Riad Jannik overwhelms the Greek 6-2 6-3. The world number 2 returns brilliantly after the stop in Shanghai. For Tsitsipas, never in the match, another sign of a difficult moment.
Jannik Sinner unequivocally showed Stefanos Tsitsipas why he is and will be king again, while the Greek at his best in his career has been a prince and will never take the throne. The quarter-final of the millionaire Six Kings Slam performance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, was literally a one-man show for the world number two, dominated far and wide without the unfortunate Tsitsipas being able to do anything (6-2 6-3 the final score).
Tsitsipas in difficulty
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A little sad, seeing Stefanos in these conditions: not too long ago he was considered the future, now at 27 he finds himself already the past, having fallen to number 24 in the world and without a real idea of what to do to get back up. And all the difference was seen in this, which will also be a performance but at an extremely high level: simply, the Greek is several steps below at least for now, and Sinner clearly demonstrated it to him. After all, Tsitsipas wasn’t even supposed to be in Arabia: he’s only there because Jack Draper decided to stop due to shoulder injury in view of 2026.
domain
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The match never existed, and not because it was an exhibition. Sinner, who appeared reactive and fit after retiring due to cramps in Shanghai (the rest seems to have done him good), dominated from start to finish, with an initial break in both sets that immediately extinguished any ambitions of Tsitsipas. In the first set Jannik went ahead 4-0 and some were already “fearing” the 6-0, but luckily (for the match and the spectators), the former world number 3 somehow responded and also recovered one of the two breaks. Here, the service was not deadly, or rather alternate: Sinner closed many games practically without any play, or almost nothing, others he struggled a bit, but nothing dramatic. The indoor concrete of “The Venue”, a very modern facility in Riyadh with a capacity of 8000 spectators, is perfect for Jannik’s game, even if it seemed faster and “slipperier” than last year, still excellent for enhancing the game of the four-time slam winner.
no wait
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In the second set Sinner went ahead 3-0, before having a small gap (so to speak) with Tsitsipas attempting to come back. To no avail. A backhand like that of the Greek can’t really do anything against Jannik’s shots, who without forcing too much closes the match 6-3, with many regards to Stefanos, who in any case will console himself with a check for 1.5 million: not bad. In the semi-final, not before 8pm tomorrow, he will have the “king of kings”, Novak Djokovic, the man with 24 slams. World number Carlos Alcaraz, however, will find Taylor Fritz, who beat another player not exactly in his best moment like Alexander Zverev in the first quarter of the Six Kings Slam with a score of 6-3 6-4.
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