British number one Jack Draper won his last three games to secure a courageous three-set victory over ninth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Cincinnati Open on Thursday.
Tsitsipas was down 5-4 in the third set, but Draper won 12 of the last 17 points to secure a stunning 3-6 6-4 7-5 victory and advance to the third round.
“It's hard to play good tennis with Stefanos because he has such a strong presence and he's really fast on the court,” Draper said. Sky Sports.
“The first hour was really tough… and my level of skill wasn't enough to compete against top players.
“Overall, I think it was my tenacity, determination and attitude that helped me win today's game. So I'm really proud of that.”
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Draper reacts to impressive win over Tsitsipas
Draper required a medical timeout during his first-round win over Jaume Munar, but appeared to move freely early in the fight.
Tsitsipas made a decisive break to go ahead 3-1 and despite a shot clock violation, the Greek world number 11 held off several break points from Draper to clinch the first set.
Draper regrouped for the second set, this time holding his serve well and creating a break point opportunity in the 10th game after Tsitsipas' double fault to level the match.
But the 22-year-old Tsitsipas was under pressure again when he won three break points in the first game of the deciding set, but Draper held the decisive set.
Tsitsipas appeared to have made a crucial break in the ninth game, but another timeout and double fault left him 0-40 down, and Draper levelled the score at 5-5.
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Draper's moment of victory as he knocks out Tsitsipas from a set down
Draper, currently ranked 28th in the ATP rankings, pressured Tsitsipas again before returning superbly to secure another hard-earned win.
Draper currently holds a 2-0 lead over Tsitsipas and will face the winner of the seventh seed. Casper Rudd or Felix Auger-Aliassime To advance to the quarterfinals.
The story of the tape
Alexander Zverev She became the first player to reach 50 wins at tour level this season after winning her opening match, beating Karen Khachanov 6-3 6-2.
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Highlights of Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov
“I felt good on the court,” said Zverev, who lifted the trophy in Cincinnati in 2021. “I felt good in practice, and then it was easier to go out on the court. In Canada, I didn't feel good at all, even in the few matches I won. I hope my form will get better and I can play good tennis.
“We are very similar players. We are both very tall and have a good baseline, and when we both play, it's all about form and who plays better, and I'm glad I was that guy today. It was a good win today.”
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Yoshihito Nishioka was given a match penalty after being warned several times by the referee to calm down during his match against Hubert Hurkacz.
Elsewhere, Hubert Hurkatz He won 3-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 against qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka, who was penalised for an illegal game in the deciding match after exploding in frustration and hitting the ball into the stands.
7th in the world Andrey Rublev He advanced to the round of 16 after defeating China's Zhizhen Zhang 6-4 6-3. Holger Rune He won 6-3 7-6 (10-8) against Nuno Borges.
American Ben Shelton He delighted the home crowd with a 6-7 (8-6) 7-6 (9-7) 6-3 win over Argentina's Thomas Martin Echeverri.
However, Grigor Dimitrov suffered an unexpected defeat to Hungary. Fabian MarosanHe fought back and won 4-6 6-4 6-3.
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