The first ATP Masters 1000 series event of the 2023 calendar is now underway, and an Australian has delivered one of the most significant upsets. On Friday in the second round of the Indian Wells Masters in southern California, 28-year-old Jordan Thompson upset the second seed and reigning Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas of Greece, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.
It was the tie-breakers where Thompson dominated Tsitsipas. In the first set, Thompson actually bageled Tsitsipas 7-0 in the tie-break, and then in the third set, Thompson won 7-5. The service statistics also went Thompson’s way. Thompson had 11 aces compared to zero double faults. Tsitsipas had eight aces compared to three double faults.
Thompson’s success in Indian Wells was not sustained. In the third round on Sunday, Thompson lost 6-3, 7-6 to Alejandro Tabilo of Chile. Tabilo won 82% of his first serve points. Thompson had eight break point opportunities, but was only able to break Tabilo once.
Heading into the second week, there are no more Australian men left in the singles draw. There are no Australian women left in the singles draw either.
Tsitsipas is one of two top-five seeds to be eliminated from the men’s draw of Indian Wells so far. The other is the third seed, Casper Ruud of Norway, who was beaten by Chilean qualifier, Cristian Garin 6-4, 7-6, in the third round on Sunday. Garin beat Ruud 7-2 in the second set tiebreak.
Only one top 10 women’s seed has been eliminated so far. That is the ninth seed, Belinda Bencic, who lost an all-Switzerland second round battle to Jil Teichmann by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 on Friday.
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