RICKY DIMON REPORTS FROM HOUSTON TENNIS: TIPSAREVIC’S COMEBACK OFF TO DRAMATIC START

Written by: Staff on 8th April 2015

RICKY DIMON REPORTS FROM HOUSTON TENNIS: TIPSAREVIC'S COMEBACK OFF TO DRAMATIC START |

“It’s been a long time…” – Photo by @tipsarevicjanko via Instagram.

Janko Tipsarevic has now played three matches in his comeback from more than a year away from the game due to multiple foot surgeries. All three have been decided by tiebreakers.

In doubles at the Miami Open, Tipsarevic and fellow Serb lost 6-4, 3-6, 10-7 to Jurgen Melzer and Robert Lindstedt. The former world No. 8 did not play singles, but after the doubles tilt and plenty of practice he decided he was good to go for this week’s U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.

His first singles match in more than a year could not have been more dramatic. Tipsarevic saved two match points in a third-set ‘breaker to overcome Guilherme Clezar 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7) on Tuesday.

After giving back a break at 3-1 in the third set, the 30-year-old survived a marathon service game at 5-5 then fought off both of Clezar’s match points in the ensuing tiebreaker. Clezar led 3-1 and 5-3 before coming within one point of his first ATP-level victory at 6-5 (on Tipsarevic’s serve) and 7-6 (on Clezar’s serve). He lost the last three points of the contest.

“In my mind, I don’t feel like I was away for so long,” Tipsarevic commented. “I felt like this was a match I needed to win. I was ready, and I was fit. I had no confidence coming in, but saving match points with forehand winners down the line maybe proved otherwise. I really felt I had to win this match, and I would have been really sad otherwise.”

Welcome back, @tipsarevicjanko! Janko gives us 2 thumbs up after his first match in 17 months… And he won! #ATP #tennis #Tipsarevic – Photo by @atpworldtour

It was his first singles match in 533 days (since Oct. 21, 2013 in Valencia), and it was his first victory in 553 days (since Oct. 1, 2013 in Tokyo).

Tipsarevic played doubles with Philipp Petzschner on Wednesday and put up a serious fight against the No. 1 team in the world–Bob and Mike Bryan. The brothers had just enough in the tank to hold off the underdogs 5-7, 6-2, 13-11.

Next up for Tipsarevic is a second-round singles date with fifth-seeded Santiago Giraldo. The head-to-head series stands at 2-0 in favor of the Serb, who prevailed 6-1, 6-0 on the hard courts of Los Angeles in 2010 and 6-3, 6-3 on the clay of Bucharest in 2013.

Fast forward a few years and Giraldo, of course, is a much more established player at this point. The Colombian is up to 32nd in the rankings and has peaked as high as No. 28. Although he can get the job done on any surface, Giraldo’s results at this time last season were especially impressive. He reached the semis in Houston, the title match in Barcelona, and the quarters in Madrid as a qualifier.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

Topics: Atp, Janko Tipsarevic, Ricky Dimon, Tennis

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10sBalls_com says:

April 8, 2015 at 9:33 pm

-@Dimonator REPORTS FROM #HOUSTON #TENNIS: @TipsarevicJanko’s COMEBACK OFF TO DRAMATIC START- http://t.co/8OXbuiPhq2 #tipsarevic
dusanVemic says:

April 9, 2015 at 9:10 am

RT @10sBalls_com: -@Dimonator REPORTS FROM #HOUSTON #TENNIS: @TipsarevicJanko’s COMEBACK OFF TO DRAMATIC START- http://t.co/8OXbuiPhq2 #tip…