Griekspoor on match-point saves in Dubai: “How am I even still in this tournament?”
Tallon Griekpoor saved match points in two different rounds on his way to the Dubai semi-finals. He will try to continue his improbable run against Stefanos Tsitsipas on Friday.
© Virginie Bouyer / Panoramic
Tallon Griekspoor saved a total of seven match points en route to the semi-finals of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He was one point away from defeat three times in round one against Roman Safiullin and then fought off four match points in a quarter-final victory over Daniil Medvedev on Thursday.
Griekspoor saved two match points while serving at 2-6, 4-5 against Medvedev and two more at 5-6. The world No 47 eventually prevailed 2-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5.
Griekspoor was asked about his new lease on life at the ensuing press conference.
The Dutchman explained, “When I won the second set (on Thursday) I was actually thinking, ‘How am I even still in this tournament?’ I probably should have been on the plane to Indian Wells already. I guess sometimes you gotta be a little bit lucky. (In the) first round I saved three match points where one of the points I felt like I should really have lost it. Then yesterday I had a really good win.
“All of a sudden you are here tomorrow in the semis. I think there was a little bit of freedom after the first round.”
Griekspoor is playing not only free but also aggressive. It’s what paid off against Medvedev with the Russian as usual standing far behind the baseline to return serve.
“I told myself, ‘If you are gonna lose, at least you are gonna lose in a good way. You’re gonna go for it,’ Griekspoor noted. “I felt like that’s what I did yesterday and today…. On match point down, I hit a couple of very, very good volleys. I knew if you want to beat Daniil, I feel like you have to be very aggressive. That’s what I tried to do all match; that’s what I told myself to do all match. And I feel like that paid off in the end.”
Next up for the 28-year-old is Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat Matteo Berrettini in three sets. Tallon Griekspoor lost his first two meetings against Tsitsipas.
