US Open: Tsitsipas stunned as qualifier Stricker wins titanic tussle to reach third round

Swiss qualifier Dominic Stricker has earned the men’s scalp of the US Open so far, stunning Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-3 to move into the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.

Tsitsipas faced an opponent today who matched him for power, tenacity and guile across just over four hours of scintillating tennis.

The world No 7 was unsettled by the level of an opponent who had to come through three rounds of qualifying to earn his place in the main draw.

Very little to separate the two in high-quality encounter

This year’s Australian Open finalist did not play poorly, he was simply matched by a remarkable performance from a young Swiss player who has heralded great promise for some time now.

It appears that promise is finally coming to fruition, as a match of tremendous quality ultimately went the way of the 21-year-old from Switzerland.

I am actually a bit speechless about this day. But it’s a great day.

21-year-old Dominic Stricker on the biggest win of his career so far

Statistically, there was virtually nothing to separate the two over the four hours and four minutes that they played for on an enthralled Grandstand.

Stricker edged the winner count by hitting an impressive 79 to his opponent’s 71, while the Swiss also kept a marginally tighter control of his unforced errors, hitting only 40 to Tsitsipas’ 42.

Both players were hitting big, trying to find consistent depth and end rallies early when possible. It was only on the finest of margins across all five sets that the match was won and lost.

A see-saw struggle went the way of the Stricker after Tsitsipas served for the match

Having lost the first set 7-5, Tsitsipas held firm in each of the next two set tiebreaks, drawing on his greater experience to gain parity and then nudge ahead by two sets to one.

The decisive moment of the encounter came in yet another tiebreak at the end of the fourth, however, when it was Stricker who found the nous to steal the narrowest of breakers 8-6 and take the match into a decider.

Having fought back from 5-3 down in that fourth set, breaking Tsitsipas as he served for the match, the momentum was now all with Dominic Stricker.

The young Swiss duly made full use of it. He broke Tsitsipas in the second game of the decider and held serve until the end, saving a break point in the final game and knocking the world No 7 out of the US Open – a second early exit at Flushing Meadows for the Greek in as many years.

“You guys did an amazing job, helping me get through these five sets,” Stricker said, addressing the US Open crowd in his post-match on-court interview.

“I was down 5-3 and then I came back in the fourth set. I don’t know how. But I did it somehow.

“I am actually a bit speechless about this day. But it’s a great day.”

Stricker is currently ranked at No 128 in the world but that ranking place is set to rise after his superb showing so far in New York.

The rising talent will play the winner of the match between French wildcard Benjamin Bonzi and American Christopher Eubanks, the No 28 seed, as he attempts to build on a brilliant breakthrough at Flushing Meadows.

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New York (Grand Slam), other second-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):

• Juan Pablo Varillas vs. Taylor Fritz
• Gael Monfils vs. Andrey Rublev
• Matteo Berrettini vs. Arthur Rinderknech
• Jack Draper vs. Hubert Hurkacz
• Michael Mmoh vs. John Isner
• Yibing Wu vs. Alex De Minaur
• Nicolas Jarry vs. Alex Michelsen
• Felipe Meligeni Alves vs. Sebastian Baez
• Daniil Medvedev vs. Christopher O’Connell
• Lorenzo Sonego vs. Jannik Sinner
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry vs. Stan Wawrinka
• Andy Murray vs. Grigor Dimitrov
• Alexander Zverev vs. Daniel Altmaier
• Yu Hsiou Hsu vs. Cameron Norrie
• Arthur Fils vs. Matteo Arnaldi
• Botic van de Zandschulp vs. Daniel Evans
• Carlos Alcaraz vs. Lloyd Harris
• Sebastian Ofner vs. Frances Tiafoe
• Casper Ruud vs. Zhizhen Zhang
• Titouan Droguet vs. Jakub Mensik
• Dominic Thiem vs. Ben Shelton
• Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina
• Tommy Paul vs. Roman Safiullin
• Adrian Mannarino vs. Fabian Marozsan
• Rinky Hijikata vs. Marton Fucsovics
• Jiri Vesely vs. Francisco Cerundolo: wednesday
• Bernabe Zapata Miralles vs. Novak Djokovic: wednesday
• Benjamin Bonzi vs. Christopher Eubanks: wednesday
• Aslan Karatsev vs. Roberto Carballes Baena: wednesday
• Laslo Djere (32) beat Hugo Gaston (Q): 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
• Borna Gojo (Q) beat Mackenzie McDonald: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4