Stefanos Tsitsipas suffers shock first-round loss to Daniel Galán at US Open
It was one of those rare moments that come along once in a blue moon but this time, it was a first round. On the second day of the 2017 US Open, on his way to a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 win over Daniel Galán in the quarterfinals on Thursday, Stefanos Tsitsipas showed that he belongs in one of the most famous and prestigious events in the world.
Despite Tsitsipas having earned his way into the main draw with back-to-back victories against top ten opponents, including two victories against Rafael Nadal in 2016, 2017 was something else entirely.
Tsitsipas needed to win today not just because he was playing against the best player he will have faced all night, but also because his match-up with Daniel Galán on Thursday was going to be his last at the event.
Before Tsitsipas took the court, the Tsitsipas family was asked to wait, so that they could meet in the locker room. When they did, they were greeted with the news that their son was, in fact, headed toward a first round exit. And just like that, it was time to get to know the new kid on the block.
Just the beginning for Tsitsipas
The 2016 U.S. Open champion came into the quarterfinal as the hottest player in the world, having defeated both Nadal and Roger Federer in two straight evenings. He was a machine on the court – both mentally and physically – and the win today over Gallant only underscored this.
Tsitsipas began the set off with a serve and volley, which set up Tsitsipas’s first chance at victory on Saturday in the final against Marin Cilic. The Spaniard took control of the match, serving up 30 winners on the first set while maintaining great service control as Tsitsipas was unable to turn up the defensive energy.
The first two points of the second set were won by Tsitsipas, and they were all winners. For good measure, he also got