The highly anticipated showdown between Stefanos Tsitsipas and Holger Rune came to an abrupt end after three games after the Greek was forced to pull out of their match due to injury.
The world No.6 appeared wary on the court and looked to be far from his best as he glared towards his camp in the crowd. Tsitsipas gave it a go with three games going with serve before he called for a medical timeout. After speaking with the trainer, he decided to retire which prompted a series of boos from fans in Turin.
In recent days there had been injury rumours surrounding the 25-year-old concerning possible issues with his back or elbow. Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Tsitsipas insisted that he was in good form and that there was nothing to be concerned about. However, this has proven to not be the case.
“He wasn’t fully serving anywhere near as full as he can. For sure, something was up with him,” Rune said during his on-court interview.
“We play a long season and it is important to take care of the body. I wish him all the best.” He added.
The unfortunate circumstances have handed Rune his first win over a top-10 player on a hardcourt this season. In his opening match, he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in three sets. It is the first time a player has been forced to retire from a match at the ATP Finals since 2021 when Matteo Berrettini did so.
“Today I didn’t feel anything because we only played three games,” the Dane commented. “My first match against Novak was at a very good level I think. I was happy with the things that I did.”
“It was a weird feeling because I played so well in that match but I lost. That shows how great Novak is. He can beat anyone no matter how good they are. it is a case of being more sharp against him.”
Tsitsipas is expected to be replaced in the draw by Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz. As a result of his retirement, Djokovic can secure his place in the semi-finals tonight if he beats Jannik Sinner.
