Argentine ace Diego Schwartzman has upset world No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas to claim the tie against Greece and keep his nation top of Group D in Sydney.
The consistent baseliner just got better and better as the night wore on while Tsitsipas, perhaps predictably in his first match back since elbow surgery.
“If the match was long I had a chance,” world No.13 Schwartzman told Jim Courier on Nine and Stan Sport following the 6-7, 6-3, 6-3 triumph.
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“I’m very happy, a set down against Stefanos is not easy.”
It was only Schwartzman’s 11th career victory over a top 10 player and he was genuinely delighted with the scalp, even enjoying a cheeky sledge at Courier’s courtside gig.
“Next time I want to be like you – sitting, drinking Coca-Cola!”
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Sizzling Tsitsipas lays down AO marker
“I have to be ready to run, it’s my game. Since I’ve been young I try to get the ball in and run. Three hours, you see, it’s normal for me.”
After the match, Tsitsipas raised concerns about a lingering injury, a concern so close to the Australian Open.
“I’m in a little bit of pain. That’s normal. I served more serves than I have ever served in the last month,” Tsitsipas said.
“I have been practising, trying to get 50, 60 serves in, and today I really went far. I was fatiguing in the end. I tried to avoid the pain but I got to finish the match somehow.
“I’d love to play [my next ATP Cup match], but I really don’t know how I’m going to feel tomorrow. That was one of the biggest concerns if I’m going to play this match today, how is the recovery going to be tomorrow, which was the issue with the doubles. I finished the doubles but the next day I couldn’t serve. I was unable. I was in a lot of pain.
“So I’m really hoping to be able to walk on court tomorrow and practise some serves without pain. That’s my biggest goal right now, to have 100 per cent recovery on my elbow.”
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