Schwartzman stuns Tsitsipas as Argentina beat Greece at ATP Cup

World No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas and Diego Schwartzman

World No.4 Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed to defeat in his first singles match since elbow surgery on Monday, losing an epic battle with feisty Argentinian Diego Schwartzman 6-7 (5/7) 6-3, 6-3 at the ATP Cup.

The Greek star went under the knife in late November after pulling out of the ATP Finals in Turin, hoping to be at full fitness for the Australian Open later this month. He was scheduled to return against world number nine Hubert Hurkacz at the teams event on Saturday, but withdrew before the match, opting instead to ease himself back in a doubles rubber.

He showed up to play 11th-ranked Schwartzman and looked at his battling best in winning the first set tiebreak, moving freely with little sign of his right elbow causing problems. But Tsitsipas lost his focus, and with it, five games in a row. After being broken in the second set, there was no way back on a humid Sydney evening. "It's his first match for two months after surgery and I was just thinking if the match was going to go long I had a chance," said Schwartzman.

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