“It has been lost over the years in our sport” – Tsitsipas keen on bringing serve-and-volley tennis into the limelight

Back in 2020, when Maxime Cressy rampaged the net point after point during his second-round loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas at the US Open, the Greek came away impressed.

“His game is very unorthodox to be honest with you. You don’t have players like this on Tour,” Tsitsipas said. “He’s a rare species of a tennis player, that’s what he is.”

Two years later, the Greek is doing his best Cressy imitation, using serve-and-volley as a primary tactic against returners to shake up their rhythm.

On Wednesday in Turin he did it against Daniil Medvedev and it worked wonders, the Greek eventually emerging with a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7(11), 7-6(1) triumph to stay alive in the hunt for a semi-final spot at the ATP Finals.

Thanks to a change in his tactical approach, Tsitsipas has managed to wrestle control of a rivalry that was severely lopsided in Medvedev’s favour prior to this summer.

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Tsitsipas looked fantastic at the net in his last two matches against Medvedev, and it is obvious that the tactic is helping him control the terms of his battles against a rival that won seven of their first nine contests.

This summer in Cincinnati, Tsitsipas used it to near perfection at times, coming to the net 36 times and winning 27 of those points as he earned a three-set victory over Medvedev.

No doubt the influence of coach Mark Phillipoussis has played a role in Tsitsipas’ decision to use the tactic more regularly, but the Greek says it has always been a part of his game that he has worked to improve.

“I have improved my serve over the course of the last few years,” he said on Wednesday, after winning 30 of 37 net points against Medvedev. “I think that is the reason why I am able to do that a bit more comfortably and with confidence. I come to the net much more smoother and relaxed on the serve, which in the past I believe was slightly different, the more the match went through.

“I would say the serve. The volleys, I put a lot of work in, simplifying it without swinging too much. It has helped me to be consistent and finding the right spots when I come in.”

Keep ’em guessing – Tsitsipas seeks an edge against the field

Winning 57 of 73 net points in two matches against Medvedev has helped the Greek change the course of a rivalry that was running away from him. By serving and volleying so often – and so well – he has forced Medvedev out of his comfort zone on return.

Normally content to camp well behind the baseline, Medvedev is now under relentless pressure when he does so.

“I’m working day by day to introduce it back into my game, to have pretty much my opponent guessing a bit more, not get comfortable every single time,” Tsitsipas said.

The Greek says he believes the tactic is fun for the fans as well.

“It has kind of been lost over the years in our sport. Not many players do that any more. I think it’s important to remain a big part of the game and to have more players play it on TV, in front of stadiums, big crowds. It’s a beautiful kind of transition from the serve to the net. It introduces so many things. It’s tennis modernized, but at the same time keeping its aggressive elements of the game.”

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