Stefanos Tsitsipas says he hopes to challenge Novak Djokovic in Rome QF, claims he has never seen anyone fight as hard as Rafael Nadal

Stefanos Tsitsipas booked his place in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open in fine fashion on Thursday, defeating the in-form Matteo Berrettini 7-6(3), 6-2. The Greek will next face five-time Rome champion Novak Djokovic for a place in the last four at the Foro Italico.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters last month, has been playing with increased self-belief of late. Many believe he can give Novak Djokovic a run for his money when they meet on Friday, and Tsitsipas himself hopes for that to be the case.

In one of his recent media interactions, the Greek first marveled at Djokovic's past triumphs in Rome and his incredible versatility, which make him a tough opponent on every surface. Tsitsipas then claimed he would have to sustain the high level he has played at so far this year just to be able to stay with the Serb.

"Djokovic has won here a lot of times," Tsitsipas said. "He can play on all surfaces. I hope to be able to play the same tennis that I have been playing so far and be a challenge for him."

Stefanos Tsitsipas finished as the runner-up to Rafael Nadal at Barcelona

During the interaction, Stefanos Tsitsipas spoke on a variety of topics - right from his Barcelona Open final defeat against Rafael Nadal to his Olympics aspirations. When asked about his thoughts on Nadal's comeback in that Barcelona match, Tsitsipas responded that he had never seen any player with the fighting spirit of the Spaniard.

The Greek also claimed that such tough losses would help him 'grow' and 'reach his limits' as far as his game was concerned.

"Of course I would have preferred to win," Tsitsipas said. "I've never seen anyone fight so hard. But this type of battles are good for me, they make me grow and reach my limits, it is important to confront ourselves at these levels."

"I want to see the public again because I haven't felt the warmth of the Italian people for two years" - Stefanos Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas was then probed about the factors behind his high level of play at the Italian Open this week, where he hasn't dropped a set in his two matches so far. The 22-year-old replied that he had been in a good headspace for some time now, before insisting that he would be even happier if he got to interact with the local fans in Rome.

"I'm fine, I want to play, I have been in a good period," Tsitsipas said. "But above all I want to see the public again because I haven't felt the warmth of the Italian people for two years."

Stefanos Tsitsipas was also asked whether he would be playing the Tokyo Olympics this year, to which he replied in the positive. Tsitsipas claimed that playing tennis at the Games was a goal for all Greek players, before expressing his desire to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Sergei.

Sergei Salnikov was a Soviet footballer who played predominantly for Dynamo Moscow. He was part of the Soviet Union national team that won the gold medal at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.

"Yes it is our goal for this year," Tsitsipas said. "My grandfather Sergej, my mother's father won the gold medal in football with the Soviet Union in Melbourne 1956. I would like to continue on this path."