Stefanos Tsitsipas asked mother to leave tense Italian Open defeat to Daniel Medvedev
- Lindokuhle Mbuyisa
- 21 May 2023
Stefanos Tsitsipas was overheard asking his mother to leave his box during a straight-set defeat by Daniel Medvedev at the Italian Open semi-final on Saturday.
An irate Stefanos Tsitsipas asked his mother to leave his box during his Italian Open semi-final 7-5, 7-5 loss to Daniel Medvedev on Saturday.
The match itself was a rain-interrupted affair, with proceedings being halted for almost three hours with the scores tied at 4-4 during the first set.
It was following the resumption of play and first set defeat that Tsitsipas' mother, Julia Apostoli, was seen walking up the stairs of the stadium and taking a random seat in the stands.
"Tsitsipas I'm told was actually telling his mum not to talk in Russian at the sit-down so that Medvedev of course doesn't hear it," said commentator Nick Lester on Prime Video.
Lester further updated fans in the first game of the second set after hearing that Tsitsipas wanted his mother to leave the stadium completely.
"I've also just been told that he has told his dad [Apostolos Tsitsipas] that Mum needs to leave the stadium," he said.
Instead, his mother watched on from her new seat as Stafanos continued to struggle against his Russian counterpart, with Medvedev starting the second set by breaking the Tsitsipas serve.
The world number five rallied to draw level with Medvedev at 3-3, 4-4 and again at 5-5 before the world number three broke Tsitsipas and then go on to close out a 7-5, 7-5 victory.
The 27-year-old Medvedev will now go play the biggest clay final of his career where he will face Danish number seven-ranked Holger Rune, 20, this Sunday.
