STEFANOS Tsitsipas has claimed the 2021 Monte Carlo Masters 1000 event overnight, defeating Andrey Rublev in the final to secure his maiden title at Masters level. The ATP Tour rising star won his sixth Tour title with the victory, but his first at either a 500 or 1000 level. The match lasted 71 minutes as the Greek fourth seed won 6-3 6-3 against Rublev to secured the win.

Coming into the match the pair was evenly poised at three wins apiece from their six head-to-head matches, and Rublev has won four titles at ATP 500 level in a remarkable 12 months of tennis. Tsitsipas had won the 2019 ATP Finals, but had not secured a trophy above an ATP 250 level otherwise and was keen to breakthrough with the win here. Having lost to Rublev at Rotterdam, Tsitsipas knew just how difficult the matchup would be. However, on clay, Tsitsipas has reigned supreme, also defeating the sixth seed in the quarter finals of Roland Garros last year.

“I knew that he was going to be a very difficult opponent to face,” Tsitsipas said post-match. There were a lot of nerves coming into that match. [We] always want to bring the best out of [ourselves] when facing each other. “Playing Andrey was a very difficult thing to do today, also considering that it was a final. “There is extra stress and extra importance in the match that we had to play. “[I am] definitely proud of the way I managed to behave and be out on the court today.”

The 23-year-old is second overall on the 2021 match wins leaderboard, two behind Rublev, with the pair having the five losses each this season. Having not dropped a tournament all week in Monte Carlo, Tsitsipas was well deserving of the title with a comprehensive win, and moving to the top of the FedEx ATP Race to Turin.

“I had an unbelievable week in Monte-Carlo,” Tsitsipas said. “I can’t describe my feelings right now. I am overwhelmed by so many different emotions and nostalgia. It is incredible that I am able to be in the position that I am. We both deserved to be in the final. We put on an amazing fight and an amazing show… I would consider it as the [best] week of my life so far.”

Tsitsipas did not face a break point throughout the matches, and took his chances when they came, converting all three of his own break point opportunities. He also capitalised off Rublev’s second serve, winning 67 per cent of the points, as the Russian was hard to contain off his first, only dropping six points in the match off his first serve. Tsitsipas was even more dominant off serve, dropping just 10 points off his serve – only four off his first serve – on his way to winning 86 and 68 per cent of his service points respectively, off a 60 per cent clip.

Both players will continue their clay court circuit at the Barcelona ATP 500 event, where Tsitsipas is second seed and has a bye in the first round to face either Jaume Munar and Thiago Monteiro, while Rublev is seeded third and will also sit out the Round of 64 before locking horns with the winner of Benoit Paire or Italian lucky loser, Federico Gaio.

MONTE CARLO MASTERS FINAL RESULT:

[4] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) defeated [6] Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-3 6-3

Picture credit: ATP Tour