Stefanos Tsitsipas is relishing working alongside former native hope Mark Philippoussis as he makes an attempt to show a red-hot run into the Australian Open third spherical right into a maiden grand slam triumph.
Tsitsipas was all business as he made mild work of livewire Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata, successful 6-3 6-0 6-2 in simply an hour and 32 minutes on Wednesday.
With loads of assist at Rod Laver Arena, together with former Wimbledon and US Open finalist Philippoussis, the 24-year-old maintained his spectacular unbeaten summer season after a powerful United Cup marketing campaign.
“He brings a lot to the game,” Tsitsipas mentioned of Philippoussis.
“He has played amazing tennis himself in his career, won a lot of matches here on Rod Laver Arena and has tons of experience when it comes to a high level of tennis.
“He has been serving to me so much with serve and volley. Although I did not use it so much in the present day it is someplace in my artillery, ready to be unpacked.
“He has contributed a lot to more of the offensive type of game that I’m looking to install within myself and we’ve been moving towards the right direction.”
Hijikata endeared himself to native followers together with his gutsy five-set opening spherical win over Yannick Hanfmann and earned himself a Rod Laver Arena debut.
He had no solutions for the No.3 seed however to his credit score, he by no means dropped his head.
Australia’s Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt mentioned Hijikata’s first-round loss to Rafael Nadal on the US Open, then going through Tstisipas have been “priceless” experiences.
“This is what the (young Australians) have to enjoy, to strive to get these opportunities,” he mentioned.
“Rinky out here playing one of the best players in the world in Tsitsipas. It is an unbelievable experience.
“This is why all of the arduous work is finished within the low season, to have the ability to win matches at your house grand slam and get to play the easiest gamers on the planet.”
Hijikata took a set off Nadal at Flushing Meadows and Tsitsipas wans’t planning on getting caught unawares.
“I used to be anticipating a great stage of tennis, and he did give you some actually good photographs at first, coming within the internet,” he mentioned.
“Serving fairly properly I might say at first, however the consistency did not final very lengthy, I might say.
“Of course, he fought and he tried. I kept producing bigger shots with more topspin, with more rotation and more angles, really going for that forehand.
“Of course, I do not concentrate an excessive amount of what’s occurring on the opposite facet of the online, however I form of felt there wasn’t a lot he might do at a sure level.”
