‘Not good enough’ as Stefanos Tsitsipas makes no excuses in early US Open exit
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Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas (left) congratulates Dominic Stricker of Switzerland on his second-round win at the US Open.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
NEW YORK – Stefanos Tsitsipas admitted that his recent form was simply “not good enough” as his poor run continued with yet another early exit from Flushing Meadows on Wednesday, when Swiss qualifier Dominic Stricker shocked the seventh seed in the US Open second round in a five-set thriller.
The Greek reached the Australian Open final this season but has never made it past the third round in six main-draw appearances in New York, and he struggled against Stricker’s massive serve and booming forehand before bowing out 7-5, 6-7 (2-7), 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6), 6-3.
He won in Los Cabos in August but his form dipped in the run-up to the year’s final Grand Slam, suffering early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati.
“I won’t blame it on anything. It’s just poor performance after Los Cabos,” Tsitsipas said.
“I consider myself a good player, and I don’t want to be a person that can be beaten easily or I’m giving my opponents easy time on the court against me. I try to make it as hard as I can, and if it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work. I move on with my life.”
He removed his father Apostolos Tsitsipas as coach earlier in August but said that shake-ups to his team were not to blame for his defeat.
“By no means I’m supposed to put any blame on any people or any members of my team,” he insisted.
“Everything on court is under my control and under my talents, and the way I can play this sport is shown out on the court.
“If I’m not able to deliver, then I’m not supposed to be doing well.”
His defeat marks the latest Greek disappointment at Flushing Meadows after eighth seed Maria Sakkari lost in straight sets in the opening round of the women’s draw on Monday.
It was business as usual for Novak Djokovic as he maintained his blistering form to race into the third round with a straight-set defeat of Spain’s Bernabe Zapata Miralles.
The second-seeded Serb, eyeing a record-extending 24th Grand Slam men’s singles title, booked his place in the last 32 with a 6-4, 6-1, 6-1 victory.
Djokovic needed just 2hr 2min to dispose of Zapata Miralles and will now face fellow Serb Laslo Djere on Friday for a place in the last 16.
“I’m still moving pretty well for an old fella,” the 36-year-old joked in an on-court interview after his win.
“It was a tough match, especially in the first set. When we had the entire court in shadow, there was a lot of humidity. But it’s the same for both players.
“I didn’t start the match very well but the second and third sets were a couple of levels higher so I’m very pleased with the way I finished off the match.” REUTERS, AFP
