Stefanos Tsitsipas advances to Cincinnati Masters second round

Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the second round of the Cincinnati Masters after defeating Valentin Royer in straight sets, 7-6, 7-5. The match was closely contested, with Tsitsipas overcoming several match points before securing the victory.

Tsitsipas attributed his success to an aggressive strategy, frequently moving toward the net after hitting forehands to build confidence. Despite noting some inconsistency in his serve and experiencing nerves toward the end of the match, he emphasized the importance of maintaining an attacking mindset to avoid tightening up during critical moments.

His next opponent will be world number 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime. Tsitsipas holds a favorable head-to-head record against the Canadian, with seven wins in ten previous meetings.