Tsitsipas Says ‘Focus and Relaxation’ Key to Improved Serve after Win over Thiem

Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece returns the ball against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 29, 2023. (AP)
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece returns the ball against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 29, 2023. (AP)
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Tsitsipas Says ‘Focus and Relaxation’ Key to Improved Serve after Win over Thiem

Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece returns the ball against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 29, 2023. (AP)
Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece returns the ball against Dominic Thiem of Austria during their match at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, April 29, 2023. (AP)

World number five Stefanos Tsitsipas landed 39 straight first serves en route to claiming a 3-6 6-1 7-6(5) comeback win over Dominic Thiem at the Madrid Open, with the Greek crediting his focus and relaxation for his near-perfect serving performance.

Tsitsipas looked in danger of falling in his first match of the tournament on Saturday, but he found a way back into it by dominating the second set and then clinching the tie-break in the decider.

The 24-year-old ended with a first serve percentage of 79%, significantly higher than the 57% he managed in his straight sets defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in last week's Barcelona Open final.

"That's fantastic, 39 is a lot," Tsitsipas said of his streak.

"That's a positive mark for me. I think I just owe it all to fluidity and just being relaxed on my serve... I think it's just pure relaxation and focus."

Tsitsipas also praised former US Open champion Thiem for turning the two-hour, 19-minute encounter into a physically demanding contest.

"I'm in a way happy that we were able to show that kind of tennis... Today sort of showed what kind of intensity two guys that play single-hand backhands can bring to tennis," Tsitsipas said.

"I'm happy I got away with a win. Things weren't easy at the very end but I just kept fighting... The third set it was just pure fight. He's not someone that's going to give up and he hates even giving the slightest to you in terms of free points."

Tsitsipas will next meet Argentine Sebastian Baez, who beat American Marcos Giron 3-6 6-3 6-4.



Brazilian Club Botafogo Hires Son of Carlo Ancelotti as Its Manager

Real Madrid's assistant coach Davide Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Alaves, at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, April 13, 2025. (AP)
Real Madrid's assistant coach Davide Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Alaves, at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, April 13, 2025. (AP)
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Brazilian Club Botafogo Hires Son of Carlo Ancelotti as Its Manager

Real Madrid's assistant coach Davide Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Alaves, at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, April 13, 2025. (AP)
Real Madrid's assistant coach Davide Ancelotti waits for the start of a Spanish La Liga soccer match against Alaves, at the Mendizorroza stadium in Vitoria, Spain, April 13, 2025. (AP)

Brazilian club Botafogo has hired the son of Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti as its new manager.

The 35-year-old Davide Ancelotti was handed a contract through 2026 to take up his first full-time coaching job after Botafogo owner John Textor fired Renato Paiva following the team’s round-of-16 elimination at the Club World Cup.

The Italian has worked for more than a decade alongside his father in different roles at Bayern Munich, Napoli, Everton, and Real Madrid. He is also part of Ancelotti's staff at Brazil.

Botafogo is the defending Brazilian and Copa Libertadores champion. Textor recently said he wanted his team to adopt a more attacking style of play.

Brazil's soccer confederation said in a statement that Davide Ancelotti's deal with Botafogo allows him to continue working with the national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

The younger Ancelotti is expected to make his debut on Saturday against Vasco da Gama in a Brazilian league match.