Last 12 months’s French Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas blamed unnamed modifications to his tools for taking part in a component in his four-set defeat by sensational teenager Holger Rune within the fourth spherical on Monday.
Greek fourth seed Tsitsipas went down 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-4 in opposition to the Dane, who’s making his maiden look within the males’s match, in simply over three hours.
“You do have this in the back of your head, having kind of changed a little bit that equipment, playing with something that has helped you a lot last year get to a pretty good result, finals for the first time,” stated Tsitsipas.
“It kind of stays back in your head that maybe I shouldn’t have done that.”
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Upset of the match? 👀
How teenager @holgerrune2003 knocked out world No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas on his method to his first-ever Grand Slam quarter-final.@emirates | #EmiratesFlyBetterMoments | #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/NcE2JcmriP
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022
Tsitsipas misplaced final 12 months’s last in opposition to Novak Djokovic after being two units up.
Rune could also be comparatively unknown, having gained his solely tour title this month, however the highly effective 19-year-old has shot up the rankings, leaping greater than 350 locations within the final 15 months to achieve world quantity 40 in the beginning of the French Open.
The 23-year-old Tsitsipas, the world quantity 4 who has but to win a Grand Slam, declined to disclose what the tools modifications had been.
It’s your second, @holgerrune2003 👏#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/0etFcp8mbG
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 30, 2022
“You feel like there have been a few changes in terms of equipment and stuff like that,” Tsitsipas stated.
“I wouldn’t put all of the blame on the equipment because it’s something that I chose for my personal progress and getting better,” he stated.
Players in Paris have been utilizing totally different string tensions for various taking part in occasions, particularly with the introduction of a night session being performed in chilly circumstances, relying on the temperature and humidity.
Tsitsipas did change rackets halfway by way of the sport on a sunny day however refused to elaborate when requested concerning the modifications to his tools.
“I would prefer not to talk about it, please,” stated the Greek. “I don’t want to answer that.”
