Stefanos Tsitsipas was determined on Monday at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam. The sixth seed at the indoor hard-court tournament delivered a near-perfect performance, defeating qualifier Harold Mayot 6-1, 7-5.
Tsitsipas began strongly, securing a commanding first set and then increased his aggression under pressure in the second set to complete the match in 83 minutes. This was the first meeting between the two players in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
Tsitsipas looked significantly improved compared to his recent first-round defeat by Alex Michelsen at the Australian Open last month. Ranked No. 12 in the PIF ATP Rankings, he raced out to an impressive start inside the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, where he made his ATP Tour debut in 2017, striking 15 winners in a quick 27-minute first set.
In the second set, Mayot began to find his rhythm, extending rallies and pressuring Tsitsipas. Although Tsitsipas faced six consecutive break points and struggled to convert, he finally broke Mayot’s serve in the 11th game, allowing him to serve out the match confidently.
Tsitsipas, a finalist in 2022, will meet either Matteo Berrettini or local favorite Tallon Griekspoor in the second round.
Earlier, Hubert Hurkacz displayed a clinical performance, defeating Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-2, and advancing to the second round in Rotterdam for the fifth consecutive year. The eighth seed won 85 percent (23 of 27) of his first-serve points and hit seven aces during his 77-minute victory.
Hurkacz, competing in his first event since falling outside the Top 20 for the first time since April 2021, will face either Jiri Lehecka or Alexei Popyrin in the next round.
