Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios advance to quarter-finals of Citi Open

Image Courtesy: Twitter/@StefTsitsipas

Greek tennis sensation and top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Citi Open after overcoming an uneven performance against Jordan Thompson of Australia in the last-16 clash of the tournament in Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C on Friday.

After comfortably winning the opening set, the 20-year-old saved a crucial set point in the second set to eventually seal a 6-3, 7-6(4) triumph under the light in a thrilling round-of-16 of the men's singles event that lasted one hour and 39 minutes.

Following the win, Tsitsipas said that he was happy to step up bravely when it mattered the most during the clash. 

“It’s very pleasing knowing that I can be mature and handle those situations very bravely, so I’m really happy with that. I showed the character out there. I played heroic tennis, I would say, in those crucial moments. That was very nice to see," the Association for Tennis Professionals (ATP) quoted the young tennis star as saying. 

Tsitsipas will now lock horns with France's Benoit Paire, who lost only three first-serve points to outclass fifth-seeded John Isner of America 7-6 (3), 6-3. The Frenchman smashed 12 aces and didn't drop his serve for even once to equal his ATP Head-to-Head rivalry against Isner at 1-1.

Tsitsipas, who has stormed into his 10th ATP Tour quarter-final of the season, is bidding to clinch his third ATP Tour title of the year after sealing wins in Marseille and Estoril. 

In another men's singles clash, Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios hammered 15 aces to register a comfortable 6-2, 7-5 win over Japan’s Yoshihito Nishioka in the last-16. The Australian was broken on service just once while he won 85 percent of his first serves to cement his spot in the quarter-finals.

Nishikori, who is featuring in his first tournament since his second-round defeat to Rafael Nadal in Wimbledon, will now square off with unseeded Slovakian Norbert Gombos for a place in the last four.