World number one Novak Djokovic will face an in-form opponent in the form of Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second semifinal of the 2020 French Open. Get regular updates on this crucial match from the Roland-Garros as the hunt for the title-decider heats up.
Looking to watch the French Open live streaming online?
- For tennis fans in the UK, Europe, Australia & elsewhere go to bet365 > Tennis > Live Streaming here* to watch & bet on the ATP & WTA tennis live.
- Get all the other French Open Live Streaming Options Here
[the_ad id=”14063″]
*Geo-restrictions apply & pre-funded account needed
Djokovic v Tsitsipas Live Score
Djokovic 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 6-1 Tsitsipas (* denotes next server)
Live Updates
1st Set
A good start for Tsitsipas helped him win the first three points to earn himself three break-points in the very first game. Djokovic’s solid first serve saved the first, before a solid winner set up by an excellent control in a rally made it two of them saved.
Another good serve forced Tsitsipas into hitting the return wide but Tsitsipas took advantage of a poor second serve to garner a fourth break-point. Djokovic saved it again and then a booming serve set up a winner that took him to game-point for the first time. A couple of point-exchange later, the Serb held serve to take the lead.
When the boot was on the other foot though, Djokovic wasted no time. He got a couple of break-points at 15-40 and broke the Tsitsipas serve to take a 2-0 lead early in the first set.
And long gone were the memories of the first game when Djokovic quickly moved in to win the next game on his serve on love. Long way off from having fallen 0-40 down in the opening game, having won eight of the previous nine points, Djokovic.
It was in the fourth game of the opening set that Tsitsipas finally got on board, holding serve to 15 but a break down.
Djokovic continued to have no trouble with his serving after the first game, as he raced away to another easy hold, taking a 4-1 lead in the process but Tsitsipas retaliated with a similar hold to narrow the Djokovic lead.
A beautiful rally had Tsitsipas doing all things but for landing the final blow to give Djokovic the first point on serve but he came back strongly to win the next two. A Tsitsipas forehand error made it 30-30 and soon after Djokovic had missed a game point, Tsitsipas got a break-point.
A 23-shot rally got it back to deuce and a forehand error gave Djokovic another game-point, which he converted to take the game.
An easy hold for Tsitsipas made it 5-3 which meant it was down to Djokovic to serve out the first set. And that’s how it looked to be headed as Djokovic took a 40-0 lead but a fighting Tsitsipas won the next three points to level the scoreline. Only for some time though as Djokovic cruised through the next two points to clinch the first set.
2nd Set
Tsitsipas started off with an excellent first service game, winning to love which included a couple of top backhand winners and an ace to boot.
In the second game, Tsitsipas won the first couple of points on his opponent’s serves only to fluff his lines on the next two, bringing a heavy scream of anguish from the Greek.
A double-fault allowed Tsitsipas back with a chance to break his opponent, his sixth of the match but a superb serve thwarted that. Another break-point and another save followed, which was then followed by Djokovic getting a few chances to hold serve too, before managing to level the set at 1-1.
Djokovic got himself ahead at 15-30 on the next Tsitsipas game but the Greek won three points in a row to hold easily in the end and moved ahead again. The Serb himself was in trouble on his serve but as was the case throughout the match so far, Djokovic managed to wriggle out of it with aplomb to make it 2-2.
One away from another Rafole.
Djokovic leads Tsitsipas 6-3, 6-2.
[getty] pic.twitter.com/SKWs3zqxnV
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) October 9, 2020
The world number one’s mental fortitude came to the fore yet again when he recovered from 0-40 down on Tsitsipas’ serve to win himself a break-point despite the Greek getting a couple of chances to smash the ball away. And two points later, Djokovic had the break he wanted, getting his second break off the second break-point he had in the match.
A clutch hold from Djokovic followed soon to take him to a 4-2 lead and while Tsitsipas had two chances to hold in the next game at 40-15, the Serb managed to bring it back to deuce. A double-fault followed, handing Djokovic his third break-point of the match. For a change, Tsitsipas saved that one only to concede another one and was broken on that thanks to a forehand error from the Greek’s racquet.
Djokovic finished it off after holding on love to take a two-set lead and all but seal off his place in the final.
3rd Set
Tsitsipas began the set with one of his better holds, winning the game to love and going 1-0 up but the bigger question was if he could break Djokovic. Coming back from 15-40 down, Tsitsipas earned himself his eighth break-point of the match but was just unable to deliver the coup de grâce, following which the Serb held on to level the set.
It could have been trouble for the Greek when Djokovic looked to be coming back from 15-40 down on Tsitsipas’ serve but the latter managed to hold it in the end and take a 2-1 lead. And it didn’t take Djokovic and Tsitsipas to hold on to their next service games and make it 3-2.
A hold to love from Djokovic made it 3-3 before Tsitsipas managed to win the game on his next serve to win his fourth game of the set, the first time he managed to do that in the match. Not that it seemed to matter too much for Djokovic who held on to his serve yet again on love to level it at 4-4.
And when things began to heat up, it was Djokovic who took control yet again as he broke the Greek in the ninth game of the third set, the drop shot coming handy for the world number one.
Looking to serve for the match, Djokovic conceded another break-point and for the ninth time in the match, it was saved, before pumping in a solid serve to get to match-point. A backhand error from Djokovic levelled it up, and a overhead smash gave the Greek his 10th break point.
Saved again.
Another break-point. And this time, after 10 futile attempts, Tsitsipas managed to break the Djokovic serve to make it 5-5. It looked to be a nervy service game for Tsitsipas when he fell 0-30 behind but sheer grittiness helped him through to march ahead and take a 6-5 lead, forcing Djokovic to serve it to stay in the match.
For the second game in a row, Djokovic took a 30-0 lead, this time on his own serve, and then lost three points in a row to give Tsitsipas a set-point – the Greek’s 12th break-point – but much like 10 of the previous ones, it was saved with a clinical serve and smash. However, off the next break-point, Tsitsipas hit the baseline with his forehand to win the break and with it the set.
4th Set
Tsitsipas started out with a chance to win the first game, then was a break-point down before finally winning it to pouch the vital opening game of the set.
Who would have thought what followed with Djokovic losing four in a row to get broken in a jiffy in the very first servie game of the fourth set. This put Tsitsipas 2-0 up in the match for the first time but soon enough he faced three break-points of his own.
Djokovic missed the first, hitting a backhand wide but a long return from Tsitsipas brought the world number one back into the set. An easy hold to 15 meant the set was back on level terms at 2-2, leaving the Greek to pick up the pieces and try for another break of serve.
Three break-points followed Tsitsipas in his next service game but he thwarted each of them, unlike what had been the case in the previous sets giving him a 3-2 edge. Djokovic wasn’t having any of it though, and an easy hold followed, sandwiching a medical timeout from Tsitsipas who looked like having some trouble around his thigh and groin area.
In the next game, Tsitsipas, struggling with his fitness, looked to have been pushed to the brink but came back to save four break-points and win the game. That made it Djokovic missing nine break-points in the set, on the lines of what Tsitsipas had done in the previous three.
Not to be outdone though, Djokovic had no issues holding on to his serve, levelling things up at 4-4. And again, staving off a few break-points, Tsitsipas held on to his nerves and to the serve to go 5-4 up.
Would he be able break the Serb at such a crucial time? The answer seemed to be no, as Djokovic overcame a double-fault to go 40-15 up only for Tsitsipas to win the next two points and make it deuce. A backhand hit wide by Djokovic gave Tsitsipas a set point, which he gleefully accepted to take the match to a fifth set!
5th Set
It took Tsitsipas five-plus minutes and another break-point save to hold on to the first game of the fifth set, before Djokovic managed an easy hold to level things up at 1-1.
Djokovic wasn’t going to be done so easily though as he carved out another couple of break-points for himself. And while Tsitsipas saved one, the world number one played one of his most favourite drop-shot to take a 2-1 lead getting the better of his opponent’s serve.
And as if to prove he was back and running, the Serb held on to his serve to 15 to go 3-1 up in the fifth set. With Tsitsipas struggling to maintain the levels of the previous two sets, Djokovic carved out an easy second break and with that took his chances of making it to the final.
With Tsitsipas struggling to move because of his fitness issues, he conceded a match-point to Djokovic but a forehand error helped him make it deuce before the Greek hit a winner to get himself a game point. Djokovic did not give in and forced another match-point which he converted to win the match in five sets.
Djokovic v Tsitsipas Preview
Read our preview, live streaming options and prediction for this match here.
Be the first to comment