Greek God

I watched the recent 2019 Nitto ATP Final between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Dominic Thiem and it was as close a match as you could ever imagine. It wasn't the greatest of matches; but it was the CLOSEST I have ever witnessed.

The number of points they won; the number of aces they had; the number of break points they had; even their first-serve percentage; everything was almost even. They were even wearing almost matching Adidas kits; for Christ sake.

The first set was so close you almost felt it would be a net-cord or something to decide it; and it almost was; as right at the end of the tie-breaker Thiem managed to win a few consecutive points to edge it 8-6. The second was a bit of an aberration; as Thiem seemed to lose focus after the first-set win and allowed Tsitsipas to control and win 6-2.

But then came the third and here's where things got so tight again. Both players were serving well; slugging it out on the baseline; and seemed unwilting in their concentration and focus. It looked like Tsitsipas had continued the momentum and got the edge with the break; but suddenly his nerves and fatigue seemed to affect him and there came Thiem roaring back in his customary style to level it again.

On it went to the tie-break; and again Tsitsipas manged to wrestle control by leading 4-1. But Thiem seems to play best when he is down and he came back yet again to make it 4-4. With the feverish crowd chanting 'Tsit-Si-Pas' at every point, it seemed to turn into a football match-style of atmosphere. Then came perhaps the deciding moment of the match; as three consecutive mistakes from a tired Thiem handed the final victory over to Tsitsipas. It was indeed a grand way to end this grand tournament; and the future of tennis could not be brighter.