WHAT HAPPENED: That was the question on everyone's lips as Stefanos Tsitsipas slumped into a 6-0, 5-0 hole against Colombian qualifier Daniel Elahi Galan. The Greek won just seven total points in the opening set as he made a sluggish start in the face of a Galan masterclass.
Closing out the match would prove a far greater challenge for the Colombian, but on his ninth match point, he clinched a 6-0, 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 victory in Louis Armstrong Stadium, a venue which once again proved a house of horrors for the Greek.
"He dominated the match," Tsitsipas said post-match. "I just couldn't get into it."
After getting on the board late in the second set, Tsitsipas raised his racquet to the crowd as they welcomed him into the evening match. While he was far from his best and struggling to find consistency, Galan was superb in his US Open main-draw debut and played many of the early exchanges from inside the baseline as he pressed home his advantage.
But the fourth seed began to flip the script in set three, aided by several visits from the trainer during changeovers, when he had his forearm worked on. Tsitsipas began to hit his spots and powered through the third set after earning a break in a 14-point second game. After another break to start the fourth, he was in control at 4-2, with a fifth set appearing imminent.
Five of the final six games went Galan's way, with Tsitsipas saving five break points at 4-5 and another three at 5-6 before a forehand error—his 57th unforced error of the match—sealed his fate.
“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.”
WHAT IT MEANS: Two years after he squandered seven match points in a five-set loss to Borna Coric in Armstrong, Tsitsipas again saw his campaign come to a close in unbelievable fashion as a Greek tragedy unfolded on the US Open's second stage.
The 24-year-old also lost out on a chance to rise to world No. 1 this fortnight. Depending on other results, a run to the final or a title could have made him the first Greek No. 1 in the ATP's history.
Galan, who did not drop a set in qualifying, earned his first Top 20 win in his seventh attempt. His biggest previous victory came against then-world No. 23 Alex de Minaur at the 2021 Miami Open.
MATCH POINT: Tsitsipas drops to 5-5 in his US Open career with the loss and is yet to advance beyond the third round in New York. It is the only major at which he has not reached at least the Round of 16.
