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Stefanos Tsitsipas' racket came apart in spectacular fashion during his shock loss to Filip Krajinovic in the quarterfinals of the 2021 Hamburg European Open on Friday.
Tsitsipas had the upper hand early on, breaking twice for a 5-0 lead in the first set. The Greek went on to capture the first set 6-3, but Krajinovic hit back in the second set, breaking Tsitsipas' serve to take a 3-1 lead.
Returning serve from the deuce court in the next game, Tsitsipas' racket head snapped off as he made contact with Krajinovic's second serve. Although the ball landed in play, Tsitsipas couldn't continue the point as he was left with just his handle. Krajinovic bunted the ball back to win the point.
Tsitsipas completely fell off the rails from that point onwards, winning only three of the last 12 games as he succumbed to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 defeat.
Krajinovic, who is into his first semi-final of the season, will face fellow countryman Laslo Djere on Saturday.
Krajinovic said he was delighted to have secured his first-ever win over Tsitsipas.
"He started really well, really aggressively," Krajinovic said. "I could not find my game, could not find my serve, he was overpowering me. But at the end of the first set, I started to feel better, I was going for my shots. It paid off in the end. I am happy to beat Tsitsipas, he is an amazing player.
“I always play well here, and I hope I keep playing well here. [Laslo] Djere is an amazing player, so it is going to be a tight match next. It is going to be an interesting [match] tomorrow."
Tsitsipas, meanwhile, will rue another missed opportunity in the German city. In last year's final, the Greek double-faulted on championship point against Andrey Rublev before going on to lose in three sets.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is not in great form ahead of thTokyo Olympics
Stefanos Tsitsipas' early exit from the Hamburg Open does not bode well for his prospects at the Tokyo Olympics later this month. The 22-year-old is set to compete in the quadrennial event for the first time in his career, but he has not had a great run leading up to Tokyo.
Tsitsipas lost in the first round at Wimbledon and managed just one victory in Hamburg. The Greek could've leapfrogged Rafael Nadal to become the new World No. 3 had he won the title in the German city.
That said, he will have plenty more chances to move up the rankings during the hardcourt swing.
