Tsitsipas rides crowd support
MELBOURNE, Australia — Stefanos Tsitsipas has reached the fourth round at the Australian Open, going where no Greek man has gone before at the majors but is still feeling right at home.
The No. 14-seeded Tsitsipas had a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7), 6-4 win over No. 19 Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia on Margaret Court Arena on Friday.
He reached the Round of 16 at Wimbledon last year and has become the first Greek man to advance that far at multiple Grand Slam tournaments. Big sections of Greeks sang songs and waved the blue and white flag and scarves in the crowd.
There was no split loyalties on Rod Laver, where local favorite Ash Barty became the first player through to the fourth round a 7-5, 6-1 win over Maria Sakkari.
In the only other completed match by early afternoon, former Wimbledon finalist Tomas Berdych beat No. 18-seeded Diego Schwartzman 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.
