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TENNIS

Alcaraz ousts Tsitsipas, advances to US Open 4th round

18-year-old Carlo Alcaraz did not lose focus after a bathroom break by Stefano Tsisipas and defeated the world number three to reach the fourth round of the US Open.

Update:
Spain's Carlos Alcaraz celebrates during his 2021 US Open Tennis tournament men's singles third round match against Greece's Stefanos Tsitsipas at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, on September 3, 2021. (Photo by
KENA BETANCURAFP

The Spaniard won in five sets, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (2), 0-6, 7-6 (5), and dashed the Greek’s hopes of finally clinching a Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz became one of the youngest players to ever reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament.

Alcaraz's biggest career win

“This victory means a lot to me,” he said. “It’s the best match, the best win of my career.” He added that to beat Stefano Tsitsipas was a dream come true for him.

Tsitsipas called for a bathroom break after losing a third-set tie-break that pushed Alcaraz ahead 2-1. The crowd booed as he went to the bathroom while television timed his less than 5-minute break.

Tsitsipas came back and bagelled Alcaraz in the fourth set, just as he had done in his second round match against Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.

But the teenager kept his cool and recovered in the fifth set that went to a tie-break that he eventually won 7-5.

Bathroom break brouhaha

Tsisipas had come under fire in the US Open for his well-timed lengthy bathroom breaks. First-round opponent Andy Murray had said, “It takes Stefanos Tsitsipas twice as long to go to the bathroom as it takes Jeff Bezos to fly into space.” Murray said he felt the length of the pause influenced the outcome of the match.

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Mannarino did not lash out at Tsitsipas after he went on a seven-minute bathroom break during their match, but said the rules on these recesses were wrong.

Tsitsipas insisted that he was not guilty of any wrongdoing. “I took my toilet break as a normal athlete,” he said.

He added that he only went to the bathroom to change from wet to dry clothes. “I don’t know why everyone suddenly is against me,” he complained.