The 73rd-ranked Duckworth knocked out No. 2 Luciano Darderi in the previous round, but never found a way. Tsitsipas raced to a 4-1 lead and had two set points at 5-2 before serving out the set. In the second, Duckworth saved two break points to take the first game and two more in the long game for 2-1, but Tsitsipas broke at 3-3 and converted his first match point.
The Greek, seeded 39th to make his start at the Australian Open, said his clarity of mind shows on the court.
“It’s good to be back playing tennis like this. It’s good when everything is clear in my mind and I don’t have any doubts,” said Tsitsipas. “Tennis doesn’t have to be a complicated sport, I feel like a lot of us make it complicated. I have a lot of peace in my life. And peace also brings balance to my daily life, allowing me to be fully focused and engaged in my work.”
Basilashvili is rolling
Basilashvili, ranked 128th in the qualifiers, beat Mannarino for the first time since 2017. Mannarino looked underpowered after three-set victories over Aleksandar Vukic and No. 4 Andrei Rublev. Basilashvili broke 3-2 down, saved two break points before taking the first set on his second set point, and took a 3-1 lead on the second set point.
The Georgian, who is the first player from his country to win the event, climbs live to No. 109, close to a top 100 return and a place in the main draw of the Australian Open. He reached the semifinals in Chengdu, then qualified for Shanghai, where he retired against Mannarino, falling 6-3, 2-2.
“I managed the tension of my body very well, I didn’t tense up, I didn’t get nervous, so I served well,” said Basilashvili. “Generally I believe in myself because I have played very well in my career, but now I have confidence again because I have already won many matches.”
Tsitsipas leads 3-1 against them.
