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Stefanos Tsitsipas knows he will have to raise his level in order to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the Barcelona Open.
Tsitsipas booked his place in the title clash with a hard-fought 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 win over ninth seed Lorenzo Musetti. This is the third time he will compete in the final of the ATP 500 event.
Speaking ahead of the big match, Tsitsipas heaped praise on Alcaraz, calling him the "best player in the world."
"Fear is something I don't have when I go out on the track. I need to make adjustments, but otherwise I'm out there fighting. To win you have to be better than him. I have to face those challenges and difficulties against the best player in the world at the moment," Tsitsipas said.
The Greek cited a few instances in the past when he raised his level, such as his victory against Rafael Nadal at the 2019 Madrid Open and various encounters against Novak Djokovic. He added that he would have to do something similar against Alcaraz on Sunday.
"Carlos has shown in the last two years that he is capable of giving his best level, so it is a different challenge. I have to concentrate as much as possible and wait to reach my best level," he continued. "This is how it was when I played against Rafa in Madrid, when I played against Djokovic on various clay courts. I have to take a step forward, I have no other choice."
Stefanos Tsitsipas is yet to win a match against Carlos Alcaraz
Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz have locked horns thrice so far, with the Greek yet to get on the scoreboard.
Their first meeting came in the third round of the 2021 US Open, with Alcaraz winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(2), 0-6, 7-6(5). The Spaniard then beat Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-3 in the fourth round of the 2022 Miami Open before defeating him 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 a few weeks later in Barcelona.
If Tsitsipas comes out on top in Sunday's final, he will win his 10th career title and first at the ATP 500 level. Victory for Alcaraz would see him become the 11th player to successfully defend his title at in Barcelona.
