Stricker Stuns Tsitsipas At US Open
#NextGenATP Swiss Dominic Stricker earned his maiden Top 10 win on Wednesday at the US Open, where he upset World No. 7 Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3 to reach the third round at a major for the first time.
The 21-year-old, who is making his debut in New York, showed desire and quality throughout the four-hour, 10-minute epic to earn his second five-set win at a major. In humid conditions, the lefty rallied from 3-5 in the fourth set, while he was two points from defeat three times in the set.
Stricker then found his best form in the deciding set, winning 83 per cent (19/23) of his first-serve points to advance. Stricker, who struck 78 winners against Tsitsipas, will aim to continue his run when he meets Christopher Eubanks or Benjamin Bonzi in the third round.
[ATP APP]
Stricker is currently eighth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Jeddah (486 points) and is aiming to make his second appearance at the Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the first time. The 21-year-old has won two ATP Challenger Tour titles this season.
Tsitsipas suffered a shock first-round exit in New York against Daniel Elahi Galan last year and has now failed to make the second week at the US Open in six attempts. The Greek, who went 1-2 at ATP Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati, struck the ball well against Stricker in the pair’s second Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, but committed errors in the key moments off the backhand wing.