ATP Cup: 'I'm just trying to protect it' - Stefanos Tsitsipas says singles withdrawal due to elbow issue
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Updated 01/01/2022 at 20:18 GMT
"I've been using some muscles that I haven't been able to use before and it takes a little bit of time to get into the rhythm and get to the level I want to." The world number four opted out of his singles clash in Sydney as he works his way back to full fitness after recent surgery on his right elbow.
Tsitsipas 'relieved to feel normal again' after injury despite ATP Cup doubles defeat
Stefanos Tsitsipas has explained that an issue with his elbow was behind the decision to withdraw from his ATP Cup singles match against Hubert Hurkacz.
The world number four was scheduled to face his Polish opponent for Greece in Sydney but was replaced by Aristotelis Thanos who lost 6-1 6-2.
The 2021 French Open finalist required surgery on his right elbow in November and admitted he wasn’t “100%” for his match against Hurkacz so chose to pull out.
"I'm truly relieved that I'm able to feel normal again after years and years of suffering” he told the ATP Cup website. “The concern was kind of something that I expected, but it's not serious. I'm just trying to protect it,"
"I've been using some muscles that I haven't been able to use before and it takes a little bit of time to get into the rhythm and get to the level I want to.
"If I'm not able to perform at 100 per cent, for me there's no reason for me to go out there and play."
Despite missing the singles match, the 23-year-old did partner Michail Pervolarakis in the doubles to beat Hurkacz and Jan Zielinski 6-4 5-7 10-8.
"There was a lot of thought behind it and it kind of hurts because I do want the best for the team," he added.
I'm not playing as an individual. I see that as a team effort and I would love to [have gone] out there on the court today and played my best tennis, but I decided to take it a bit easier by starting with the doubles.
The doubles match proved a dead rubber following Kamil Majchrzak’s 6-1 6-4 win over Pervolarakis in their singles match meant Poland triumphed 2-1.
Diego Schwartzman beat Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 6-2, while Maximo Gonzalez and Andrea Molteni beat Zura Tkemaladze and Saba Purtseladze 6-1 6-2 to secure a 3-0 win for Argentina.
Spain also completed a 3-0 win over Chile after Roberto Bautista Agut beat Cristian Garin 6-0 6-3 and the doubles pair of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Pedro Martinez won their doubles match against Marcelo Barrios Vera and Alejandro Tabilo 7-6(3) 4-6 10-7.
Serbia beat Norway 2-1 thanks to Filip Krajinovic’s 6-2 7-5 win over Viktor Durasovic and Krajinovic’s doubles win with Nikola Cacic over Durasovic and Casper Ruud. Ruud earlier beat Dusan Lajovic 6-3 7-5.
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