Tsitsipas set for rankings leap despite loss in Barcelona final

Greek teenage tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas is expected to move to 44th in the ATP rankings on Monday after going all the way to the final of the Barcelona Open final where he lost 6-2, 6-1 to clay master Rafael Nadal on Sunday.

The top-ranked Spaniard was never seriously challenged on his way to a 19th straight victory on clay.

The 63rd-ranked Tsitsipas was trying to become the first Greek to win an ATP Tour title. He was the first Greek to make it to an ATP final since Nicholas Kalogeropoulos in 1973.

Nineteen-year-old Tsitsipas was the youngest finalist in Barcelona since 2005 and was looking to become the first unseeded champion in the tournament since Gaston Gaudio in 2002.

Tsitsipas had 23 unforced errors in the 77-minute loss on the Rafa Nadal court, with brief rain interruptions.

[AP]