In a major upset, qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first round of the US Open. Taylor Fritz, the 10th-seeded player, was eliminated before moving on, which was a significant upset.

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz were recently added to the list of top-seeded players who have lost in the first round of the US Open to qualifiers and players placed lower in the rankings.

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The Colombian displayed excellent aggression early away, denying the world number four any opportunity to rule. Tsitsipas struggled to establish his rhythm and appeared out of touch as he dropped the opening set 0-6.

The Greek won his first game of the match after 54 minutes of play. The first game’s victory came too late and had no bearing on the second set, which Daniel won 1-6 because he played flawlessly.

Throughout the game, he received many treatments for his right forearm.
When the Greek proved his mettle and won the third set 6-3, it appeared as though he had finally found his groove.

The fourth set proved to be the deciding factor in the world number four’s demise as she was defeated, 5-7, in an exciting tennis match.

Tsitsipas was no match for Daniel Elahi Galan, who won the match in four sets, 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, and 7-5. Prior to competing in the final Grand Slam of the year, Tsitsipas was in the running to become the world’s top player. However, this defeat has ended his chances of doing so.

In his post-match interview, the Colombian acknowledged his joy and referred to this game as one of his career’s greatest.

He said, “Definitely one of the best moments of my career,” Galan said. “Definitely the best match of my career, not only because of the circumstances, also the opponent. I’m really happy.”

Another shocking upset saw 10th-seeded Tony Fritz eliminated in four sets by American qualifier Brandon Holt, who advanced to the second round and made his Grand Slam debut. The scores were 6-7(3), 7-6(1), 6-3, and 6-4.

The fact that his friends and family were on the court to watch his victory made this match, in his opinion, the biggest one he had ever played in his tennis career.

He is also the son of former tennis pro Tracy Austin, a two-time US Open champion.

The American said, “I was excited to be playing my first main draw match,” Holt said. “Had pretty good momentum from playing three qualifying matches in a row. I felt pretty match tough. I had a lot of fun, a lot of friends and family were on the court, in a big stadium. Biggest match I’ve played in so far.”

By defeating his countryman, Holt prevented him from climbing the player rankings to the top eight. In the next round, Holt will take on Pedro Cachin of Argentina.

(Inputs from IANS)