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Tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas showcased a strong performance in the opening round of the 2025 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships as he defeated Lorenzo Sonego by 7-6, 6-3. This game marked the Greek player's return to the marquee event after a five-year absence, and he continued his beast form in the event, where he made it to the finals of 2019 and 2020.
The star player faced a big challenge in the first set of the game, particularly in the tiebreaker, where he initially trailed 3-0. However, the 26-year-old rallied with aggressive returns to win it by 7- 4. Tsitsipas was solid on his serve, winning 81% of the points behind his first delivery, which majorly contributed to his win.
In the second set of the game, Stefanos Tsitsipas took control by going for his shots in the game, which paid off as he secured the comfortable win 6-3 in the next set to mark the straight sets win. This stellar victory has improved his head-to-head record against Sonego to 4-0.
What next for Stefanos Tsitsipas in Dubai?
Stefanos Tsitsipas's performance has showcased his ability to handle the pressure and execute powerful groundstrokes from the baseline, setting him up well for his second-round game against Karen Khachanov.
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Superb from @steftsitsipas 🤩#DDFTennis#PlayOfTheDay@tennistvpic.twitter.com/2JyJc33WTS
— Dubai Tennis Champs (@DDFTennis) February 24, 2025
“It was not an easy first-round match. There were a few troubles in the tiebreaker, but it was great towards the end. I felt I was in a bit of trouble at the end of the first set, but I came up with some good returns and I think my attacking game redeemed myself in that moment – I was not backing down and that was something I was genuinely pleased with. My return games were very important today in terms of coming up with solutions when I needed them the most," said Tsitsipas after the win.