No. 3 seed Stef Tsitsipas plays down chances of maiden Grand Slam title

Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas celebrates his win yesterday

Third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas extended his winning streak this year with another ruthless victory at the Australian Open on Friday then played down his chances of a first Grand Slam crown.

The 24-year-old is yet to drop a set in Melbourne and clinched his seventh straight win of 2023 by beating Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena. With defending champion Rafael Nadal and World No.3 Casper Ruud both out, Greece's Tsitsipas is the highest seed left on the men's side. He set up a Last 16 clash with the dangerous Jannik Sinner after the Italian 15th seed stormed back to crush Hungary's Marton Fucsovics 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. It will be a rematch of their Melbourne Park quarter-final last year, which Tsitsipas won in straight sets, before exiting in the Last 4.

But Tsitsipas, who won all four games at the United Cup leading into the Grand Slam, is refusing to get carried away. "I don't make predictions. I've never been making predictions because the sport that I chose to play is unpredictable," he said.

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"Of course there are favourites. Everyone knows that. But if my mind is not there, doesn't matter who I'm playing. If I'm not able to generate good shots, hit big shots at important moments, be daring at important moments, doesn't matter who's on the other side of the net. "There are no presents," he added. "You should be going after it, you should be creating those opportunities and aiming big within yourself, sometimes surpass your own abilities."

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