John McEnroe hails ‘unbelievable’ Stefanos Tsitsipas with ‘some of biggest shots I’ve seen’ at Australian Open

Eurosport’s experts have given their reactions to the superb play from Stefanos Tsitsipas as he stormed into the final of the 2023 Australian Open with a fine victory over Karen Khachanov on Friday.

The Greek star, who lost out to Novak Djokovic in the 2021 French Open final, failed to capitalise on two match points in the third set, but he stormed his way to victory despite the dip as he reached the final in style.

“I thought the forehand was unbelievable, some of the biggest shots I’ve seen, and I’ve watched tennis for a long time,” McEnroe said on Eurosport’s coverage of the Australian Open.

“There was one game – at the end of the second set – I’ve never seen a guy hit six or seven winners off the return consistently that hugely and that accurately, but then he choked.

“He got tight when he should have won it in three easy sets. I hand it to him that he re-grouped. He showed a lot of composure and maturity, getting the job done.

“Hats off to both guys. Khachanov has never beaten Tsitsipas, he had lost 20 times in a row to top guys but kept battling. But Stefanos – we have been waiting for his big breakthrough – here is his chance, to win a major and be world No. 1.”

Henman added: “His mentality is impressive. When things are going well, it’s not complicated, but you can get frustrated when things go wrong and you get distracted.

“We have seen that in the past, with the dialogue between Tsitsipas and his box. At the end of the third set, that was the perfect time for him to get frustrated, but he didn’t.

“That shows the maturity and experience that he has now. He knew he was still in control of the match, coming out early in the fourth set and re-asserted his authority. There was only going to be one winner.”

Wilander weighed in by saying: “His mindset is very positive. The coaching system being relaxed has made it much easier for him. He is in a different state of mind after a tough last year.

“He is very consistent on tour, just not doing great things in majors. He stepped up and served better. You can see the effects of having another player in his box, Mark Philippoussis, even if he doesn’t serve and volley. It really helps to have him there.”

Schett added: “He definitely deserves it. He didn’t play his best in the first set as his serve was off. But he regrouped and found a way to win it.

“He used the court well, throwing in the slice at times. He dictated with the forehand, and it was beautiful. He put the third set behind him and started strongly in the fourth. He has taken his level of tennis up a notch.

“You can stagnate from a good level sometimes, but then you take the next step, and that has happened with Stefanos.”

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