Stefanos Tsitsipas is set to take the court at the Shanghai Masters, with Greece’s top tennis player facing Belgian Kimmer Copeljans, ranked No. 232 in the world, in a match that kicks off the main-court schedule at 7:00 a.m. (Cyprus time).
The Shanghai Masters represents an important opportunity for the Greek champion to make a competitive comeback and regain ground both in the rankings and mentally.
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His early elimination from the Japan Open—in the round of 16 by Valentin Vassero—knocked him out of the top 40 (No. 43), and now every victory takes on special significance as the season draws to a close.
He will face an opponent who is coming off a confident run through the qualifiers. The 32-year-old Kopjans needed two wins to secure his spot in the main draw, and in the final round he defeated Australian Dane Sweeney 2-0 in sets (6-3, 7-6) over Australian Dane Sweeney. He has already found his rhythm on the courts in Shanghai and wants to continue his run.
The two players have never faced each other before, which adds an extra element of uncertainty to the match, with Tsitsipas needing to prove his prowess on hard courts. The winner will face Luciano Darderi in the second round.
*photo source: AP
