World No. 85 Stefanos Tsitsipas reached his first clay-court ultimate in additional than two years right now.
By Richard Pagliaro | Friday, July 18, 2026
Picture credit score: EFG Swiss Open Gstaad Fb
Firing a flurry of forehand winners, Stefanos Tsitsipas hit his manner into his first ultimate of the 12 months.
Tstisipas fired 13 of his 20 forehand winners within the ultimate set keeping off Aleksandr Shevchenko 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 to struggle into his thirty first profession ultimate on the crimson clay of the Gstaad Open.
“It was an amazing struggle towards Aleksandr,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “I believe we performed an unbelievable match on either side.
“I really feel like each of us deserve the victory enjoying such unbelievable tennis. I’d wish to congratulate him for his efforts right now.”
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It’s Tsitsipas’ first clay-court ultimate for the reason that 2024 Barcelona title match.
The Eighty fifth-ranked Tsitsipas will face Raphael Collignon in tomorrow’s ultimate.
Earlier, Collignon saved a match level serving at 3-5 within the second set sparking a 1-6, 7-6(5), 7-5 victory over Juan Manuel Cerundolo in right now’s first semifinal.
The left-handed Cerundolo shocked world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Roland Garros final month.
In the present day, Collignon was down 1-6, 3-5 when he saved the match level and finally held for 4-5. That sparked a spree that noticed Collignon reel off 11 of 13 factors to edge forward 6-5.
The seventh-seeded Belgian rallied from a mini break down at 0-2 within the tiebreaker profitable seven of the subsequent 10 factors to grab the second set and pressure a decider.
Collignon battled again from a 2-5 third-set deficit profitable 5 video games in a row to superior to his first ATP ultimate and be part of David Goffin (2015) because the second Belgian to succeed in the Gstaad ultimate.
It will likely be the primary assembly between Collignon and Tsitsipas.
“We each had lengthy matches, so we each actually need it,” Tsitsipas mentioned. “We’ve come to the tip. The 2 of us I really feel like nobody desires to go on the market and never give it their all.
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“Every time it’s a ultimate you wish to give it your all. I wish to on the market and take the courtroom by storm—that’s what I’m hoping for.”
Within the second semifinal, Tstisipas made an announcement with a number of declarative forehand strikes down the stretch of the ultimate set.
Dancing round his backhand, Tsitsipas flashed a forehand winner down the road that lanced the sideline for double break level.
An incredulous Shevchenko shook his head on the strike then saved the primary break level.
On the second break level, Shevchenko dedicated his third double fault of the day gift-wrapping the break and a 5-3 result in the Greek.
“[You need] further oxygen; it’s troublesome out right here,” Tsitsipas mentioned of Gstaad’s elevation. “It takes a little bit time to adapt to the bounces. The bounces are a little bit completely different.
“I believe [the altitude] amplifies my sport. The altitude helps my weapons a bit extra.”
Serving for his first ultimate of the 12 months, Tsitsipas slashed successive forehand winners down reverse sidelines to shut in a single hour, 53 minutes.
Former world No. 3 Tsitsipas improved to 2015 as he performs for his thirteenth title and first since he defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime to seize the 2025 Dubai championship.
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Richard Pagliaro. Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He’s a graduate of New York College and has lined professional tennis for greater than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and labored as a author/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.
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