ESPNtenis.comNov 14, 2023, 11:06 ETLreading: 2 min.
Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 6 in the world) retired against Holger Rune (4th) in the second match of the ATP Finals in Turin. With just three games played, he left due to a back injury and caused the annoyance of the Italian public. Hubert Hurkacz (9th), first substitute, will play in his place due to the closure of the Green Group.
Tsitsipas apologized for withdrawing from Turin, EFE
At a press conference, the Greek He explained the reasons why he decided to take the field and apologized. “My apologies to all the fans. My doctors and the countless visits suggested I play, they gave me the green light to try. Unfortunately I felt terrible on the court and couldn’t continue. “I hate retiring from games, I’m not the type of person who likes to retire.”he stated sadly.
“I thought I would be able to do it better and I regret not having been able to leave the place to another player that would have been in better condition. In the warm-up I felt pain in my back when trying to serve,” the 2019 champion continued.
The truth is that prior to the match the man from Athens declared that he was “healthy and ready to compete”, which unleashed the anger and boos of the fans for his early abandonment when he fell 1-2 in the first round. This is the second time he has abandoned a Round Robin after what was done in 2021, that time due to discomfort in his elbow.
After this unexpected abandonment, Holger Rune (4th) achieved the first victory of his career at the ATP Finals and will seek to qualify for the semifinals against the Italian Jannik Sinner. On the other hand, Hurkacz, who arrived in Turin as the first substitute, will face Djokovic instead of Tsitsipas.
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2023-11-14 16:06:00
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