Three years after losing a thrilling final to Rafael Nadal, Stefanos Tsitsipas is back in the Mubadala World Tennis Championship. Stefanos faced Casper Ruud in the semi-final and scored a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory in an hour and six minutes.
The Greek served at 78% and fired ten aces. Stefanos dropped five points behind the initial shot and never faced a break point. Casper struggled on the first and second serve and dropped almost half the points in his games. Ruud experienced 11 break points and lost serve twice in each set to propel Tsitsipas over the finish line.
Stefanos made a strong start and fired a forehand down the line winner in the encounter’s opening game for an early break.
Stefanos Tsitsipas played on a high level against Casper Ruud.
The Greek held at love with a forehand winner in game two to cement the advantage and settle into a fine rhythm.
Ruud got his name on the scoreboard with a hold at love in game three, and Tsitsipas landed a volley winner in the next one for 3-1. The Norwegian fended off three break points in the fifth game before the Greek seized the fourth to forge a 4-1 advantage.
Stefanos closed the sixth game at love with a service winner, and Casper held at 15 in the next one to prolong the set. Tsitsipas served for the set at 5-2 and landed a forehand winner to wrap up the set in style, hoping for more in set number two.
Casper saved a break point at the start of the second set, and Stefanos leveled the score at 1-1 with a service winner in the next one. The Norwegian grabbed the third game with a forehand winner, and the Greek moved back to 2-2 with an ace.
Ruud denied a break point in game five with a forehand winner before Tsitsipas converted the second with a forehand down the line winner. Stefanos hammered his forehand in the sixth game to bring it home and move 4-2 ahead.
The Greek created break chances with a volley winner at the net in the seventh game and squandered both. Tsitsipas prolonged the game and clinched the third break point with a volley winner to move 5-2 ahead and serve for the victory.
Stefanos held at love in game eight to move over the top and set the title clash against Andrey Rublev or Carlos Alcaraz.
