Stefanos Tsitsipas will face Novak Djokovic in Madrid Open Final win over Rafael Nadal.
Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas gained of his career biggest victory on Saturday, beating five-time champion Rafael Nadal 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the final of the Mutua Madrid Open 2019.
Tsitsipas became the youngest player ever, at 20 years and nine months of age, to claim wins over all of Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic.
The three-time ATP Tour titlist has a 100% record against Djokovic after beating the Serbian in their only previous meeting at the Canadian Open in Toronto last year.
In previous games Nadal had won all three of his FedEx ATP Head2Head meetings against Tsitsipas.
The two-time Madrid champion, who had made just one quarter-final in three tournaments since his Melbourne win, is trying to tie Rafael Nadal's record of 33 ATP Masters 1000 titles.
When Djokovic has won a semi-final at the Caja Magica (2011 and 2016), he has gone on to lift the trophy each time. The Serbian will face reigning Next Gen ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who stunned five-time champion Rafael Nadal, on Sunday.
Stefanos Tsitsipas excited for his maiden ATP Masters 1000, Quote.
"You cannot imagine the relief. It's unbelievable. I don't want to say this, but it almost felt like I lost hope at some point. [I lost] three in a row [against him]," Tsitsipas said. "I felt in Toronto when I played him I was very close and this match kind of gave me a bit of confidence I can do it in the future, but then it was too much. [I'm] really happy that I overcame this and dealt with it mentally. Beating him on clay makes it even more special"
"The mental discipline and being tough and being decisive in all those crucial moments I think was the key," Tsitsipas said. "I had to take all those opportunities. Rafa is a fighter. He doesn't give you free points. You've got to fight and give your best on every single point."
“I have never faced him on clay, so I don't know what to expect. I have seen plenty of his matches, but I'm going to try to adapt to the way he is playing on clay as fast as I can because I'm pretty sure he is not easy on clay.
“I’m going to have to be mentally focused and also psychologically ready for a fight. That will be very important in tomorrow's match.”
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