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Stefanos Tsitsipas is looking to produce his best at the 2023 Barcelona Open title while not thinking too much about the heartbreak he has experienced at the tournament in the past.
Tsitsipas has a 13-4 win-loss record in Barcelona. He has reached the final on two occasions, in 2018 and 2021, losing to Rafael Nadal both times. Last year, he lost to eventual winner Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.
But the Greek is eager to focus on the present rather than brood over past heartbreaks.
"I cannot change what has happened to me here in previous years. I have to focus on now, on playing and continuing on the path where I am. It is the mentality of progress that I have to have, I must have a focused mind," Tsitsipas said at a press conference.
"I'm very happy with the consistency of my game today, being aggressive, going to the net, not allowing myself to go back. I did a good job, it was a difficult game that I needed to move forward with," he added.
Stefanos Tsitsipas starts his 2023 Barcelona Open campaign with win over Pedro Cachin, faces Denis Shapovalov next
Stefanos Tsitsipas opened his 2023 Barcelona Open campaign with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Pedro Cachin. The second seed will next take on Denis Shapovalov in the third round on Thursday, April 20.
After beating Cachin, Tsitsipas improved to a 17-5 win-loss record for the season. He also had a quarter-final run at the Monte-Carlo Masters last week.
While the World No. 5 is expecting a tough contest against Shapovalov, Tsitsipas also sounded confident about his chances against the Canadian.
"He [Denis Shapovalov] is a very competitive player, he has done very well today. I will have to give my 100% on the track to continue on the same path that I am on. It's going to be a very tough game, but I'm prepared to face it," Tsitsipas said.
Shapovalov defeated Jozef Kovalik in straight sets in his Barcelona Open opener. The 24-year-old has had a difficult year so far, reaching only one quarter-final (Adelaide 1) in seven tournaments, with a 7-7 win-loss record.
Shapovalov leads Tsitsipas in the head-to-head record. The Canadian has won three of his four meetings with Tsitsipas, with his latest victory coming at the ATP Cup last year.
That said, in their only claycourt meeting to date, at the Monte-Carlo Masters Round of 64 five years ago, Tsitsipas emerged victorious 6-3, 6-4.
