Tsitsipas out of US Open


Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out in the second round of the US Open on Wednesday. The seventh seed served for the match in the fourth set but went on to lose to qualifier Dominic Stricker. The world No 128 came through 7-5, 6-7(2), 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-3 to earn the biggest victory of his young career. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz cruised into the second round on Tuesday after his opponent, German Dominik Koepfer, retired with an injury during their primetime match in the Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 20-year-old top seed from Spain was leading 6-2, 3-2 when Koepfer retired, having rolled his ankle at a grimace-inducing angle minutes into the match. Top seed and world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland defeated Daria Saville of Australia 6-3, 6-4. American sixth seed Coco Gauff delivered a convincing 6-3, 6-2 win over Russia’s Mirra Andreeva in a battle of teenage talents to reach the third round. An error-prone Aryna Sabalenka overcame her early struggles on serve to overpower unseeded Belgian Maryna Zanevska 6-3, 6-2 and move into the second round. Two-time US Open champion Venus Williams suffered her most lopsided loss in 24 appearances at the grand slam tournament with a 6-1, 6-1 defeat at the hands of qualifier Greet Minnen in the first round on Tuesday. Andy Murray and Cameron Norrie sailed into the second round with straight-sets wins as hopes for British success at the tournament got off to a promising start. Former champion Murray, working his way back from hip surgeries, was forced to labour more than Norrie, needing four match points and three hours to beat Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-5, 6-3 sealing victory with a lovely backhand winner.