'Tsitsi’ and Bellucci All Fired Up for Ahoy

They are both razor-sharp and fired up: the Greek prodigy Stefanos Tsitsipas will take on Italy’s giant slayer Mattia Bellucci at the ABN AMRO Open today. Both quarter-finalists have shown in Ahoy that their tennis level and fighting spirit are at their peak.

Stefanos Tsitsipas (26) needed two hours and 58 minutes yesterday to beat the aggressive attacker Tallon Griekspoor: 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 7-5. During the intense battle, the crowd could hardly stay seated, with many up on their feet as the home favorite battled back in the deciding set. It was a comeback that initially left Tsitsipas seemingly stunned. "It is very difficult to determine a winner in a match of such a high level. It was so close,’’ said the Greek powerhouse, who survived a match point in the second set.
The defeated Griekspoor praised Tsitsipas and warned the Greek’s next opponent, Mattia Bellucci: "This was the best Tsitsipas I’ve seen in months. He has been an incredibly good tennis player for years anyway, but he also deserves a lot of credit for the way he is playing here, with his great forehand and fast footwork.’’

Mattia Bellucci (23) also earned plenty of credit this week. The Italian surprise defeated two Dutchmen in the qualifiers, and also beat young talent Mees Röttgering in the first round of the main tournament. But those victories cannot compare to his hard-fought win over former tournament champion Daniil Medvedev in the second round.

With his victory over the 2023 champion, Bellucci surprised friends, foes, and perhaps even himself. "This was the best match of my career,” the 23-year-old Italian beamed after his match. Thanks to his strong performance in Ahoy, Bellucci, currently 92nd in the ATP rankings, will reach a career-high next week. Should he extend his winning streak today, he could make an even greater leap by defeating Tsitsipas. The latter is not completely reassured about the upcoming encounter: "I saw Mattia play in the qualifiers, and that already looked very good. Against Medvedev, he played even better. I never underestimate an opponent, but in this case, doing so would be completely stupid,” said the Greek crowd favorite, who already reached the final in Ahoy in 2022.