Stefanos Tsitsipas beat the tenth seed at the US Open on Monday, eight months after telling reporters that back pain had left him unable to walk for two days and had him weighing whether to stop playing altogether.
The Greek player, ranked 53rd and unseeded in New York for the first time in his career, defeated Arthur Fils 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-1, 6-4 in the first round, striking 50 winners to the Frenchman's 38. Fils had won all five of their previous meetings without dropping a set to him, and had captured the Cincinnati Masters, his first title at that level, eight days earlier.
