Qualifier Dominic Stricker ousts Stefanos Tsitsipas at US Open for maiden Top 10 win

The No. 7 seed served for the match in the fourth set, before falling after four-plus hours Wednesday.

Published Aug 30, 2023

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In a match full of missed chances and momentum swings, qualifier Dominic Stricker emerged victorious to oust seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas. 7-5, 6-7 (2), 6-7 (5), 7-6 (6), 6-3, in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday.

Tsitsipas never arrived at match point, but was two points from victory on several occasions in the fourth set—including one game with the match on his racquet.

Serving at 5-3: one deuce
Returning at 6-5: 15-30, 30-30 and one deuce
Tie-break: 5-5 and 6-6

After holding to open the decider, Stricker surged when he fought his way through a 12-point game. Tsitsipas led 40-15 and wasted four game points in total. The left-hander made it seven for eight games when he consolidated that crucial break, and wiped away a break point in the final game to secure his maiden Top 10 win after four hours and four minutes of battling.

Stricker is currently ranked No. 128, with a career-high mark of No. 106.

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Both the Greek and Swiss saw single set points go to waste earlier in the contest—Tsitsipas in the opening set at 5-4; and Stricker in the third set at 6-5. Each were clean off the ground, but stronger execution by Stricker in net approaches and ending rallies tipped the contest in his favor:

Winners to unforced errors: Stricker—78 to 40; Tsitsipas—71 to 42
Net points won: Stricker—42/52; Tsitsipas—40/55

This season, Stricker previously made his major-main draw debut at Roland Garros as a lucky loser and picked up his first major main-draw win at Wimbledon as a qualifier over Alexei Popyrin. The 21-year-old repeated his London major result in the first round when he eliminated the Australian in four sets.

Tsitsipas opened 2023 by finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in his second major final (also lost to the Serb at 2021 Roland Garros). He then fell to Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open quarterfinals and was sent packing by Christopher Eubanks over five sets in the Wimbledon round of 16.

Stricker awaits the winner of Eubanks and France's Benjamin Bonzi for a shot at extending his stay in Queens into Labor Day weekend.

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