Jack Draper Upsets Stefanos Tsitsipas in Cincinnati Open Thriller

British tennis player Jack Draper staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Stefanos Tsitsipas and advance to the third round of the Cincinnati Open. Draper, ranked 28th in the world, overcame a set deficit and a crucial break point to secure a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory.

Tsitsipas, who is currently ranked 11th globally, initially took control of the match by winning the first set and breaking Draper’s serve to lead 5-4 in the final set. However, Draper rallied by winning 12 of the last 17 points to clinch the match. Draper expressed pride in his performance, attributing his success to his “grit, determination, and attitude.”

Looking ahead, Draper will face either Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud or Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in the next round.

Tsitsipas, a former finalist at both the Australian Open and the French Open, was competing in his first tournament after ending his coaching relationship with his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas.

In women’s singles, defending champion Coco Gauff suffered a surprising defeat in the opening round. She was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva, who won 6-4, 6-2, 6-4. Gauff, who is ranked number two in the world, acknowledged the need to improve her consistency.

As a result of her early exit, Gauff will lose her position as world number two to Aryna Sabalenka. Sabalenka advanced with a straight-set victory over Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto, winning 6-3, 6-4.

Fourth seed Elena Rybakina had a challenging day, failing to convert two match points in her match against Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. Fernandez came from behind to win 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4.

In the men’s singles, world number four Alexander Zverev dispatched Karen Khachanov with a decisive 6-3, 6-2 win. Meanwhile, sixth seed Andrey Rublev defeated China’s Zhizhen Zhang 6-4, 6-3 to advance.

The Cincinnati Open continues to provide exciting matches and unexpected results as players battle for advancement and positioning before the upcoming US Open.