3 minute read

2023 Australian Open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas has breathed a sigh of relief after battling back from a set down to beat local hope Jordan Thompson.

Australian firebrand Jordan Thompson is looking on the bright side despite falling short of a long-awaited trip to the Australian Open third round following a tense loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

After setting tongues wagging with his "woke" first-round jibe at the Open's new crowd seating policy, Thompson took it to the 2023 Melbourne Park runner-up before losing 4-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 7-6 (7-4) on Wednesday night.

Tsitsipas, who struggled with his first serve all evening, punched the air and roared "come on" after triumphing over the 29-year-old Sydneysider on Margaret Court Arena in three hours and 36 minutes.

"I forgot," the Greek No.7 seed said of his failure to convert two match points before saving four set points in the frantic final games.

"At this very moment, I only remember the last point. The adrenaline and the rush that I got out of this match was insane.

"You live for these kind of matches. Jordan didn't stop fighting. I was serving for the match. He had an incredible comeback."

It was the fourth time Thompson, who beat 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal on his path to the Brisbane International semi-finals, has fallen in the second round at Melbourne Park.

But the world No.47 was relatively upbeat, declaring he'd take confidence from a strong performance against a top-10 player.

"I've lost to good players this summer and it's been a positive summer," Thompson told reporters.

"It's a shame to not get through to the third round. This slam still eludes me so that's disappointing. But my tennis is at a higher level than it was last year."

Thompson hit the ground running in his bid to join countryman Alex de Minaur in the third round, winning almost 90 per cent of his first serves on his way to clinching the first set.

Unfazed, Tsitsipas dug deep to win the second set in a tiebreak at the fourth time of asking and claimed the ascendancy early in the third.

A pair of curious seagulls briefly interrupted play as Tsitsipas tried to serve out the third set, with Thompson allowing him to take his first serve again.

The Australian repeatedly gestured to his box as the game began to slip away in the fourth set, before he saved two match points on Tsitsipas' serve at 5-4.

Thompson held serve and had four chances to force a fifth and deciding set but couldn't convert, before losing the tiebreak.

Tsitsipas next faces Frenchman Luca Van Assche, a 6-3 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-0 winner over Italian No.25 seed Lorenzo Musetti.