Tipsarevic, 34, On The Comeback Trail, Again
Tipsarevic, 34, On The Comeback Trail, Again
Serbian has good memories in Miami
Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, former World No. 8, earned his first tour-level win since August 2017 on Wednesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau.
The 34-year-old swept American Bradley Klahn 6-3, 6-3 to advance at the ATP Masters 1000 event in South Florida.
Tipsarevic, No. 453 in the ATP Rankings, is playing in his third tournament of the season after missing all of 2018 to recover from surgeries on both hamstring tendons. It’s the latest comeback for the Belgrade native, who has endured numerous maladies to his feet and knees.
He missed 17 months, including all of the 2014 season, because of foot injuries, including two surgeries on his left foot to remove a benign tumor, before returning in April 2015.
But after the 2015 US Open, Tipsarevic had to miss seven more months because of patellar tendonitis in his right knee.
Read More: Tipsarevic Takes Steps In Latest Comeback
Good things, however, have happened to him in Miami, where he last played in 2013. At the time, Tipsarevic was ranked No. 9 and made the fourth round (l. to Simon). His best showing in South Florida was a quarter-final finish in 2008 (l. to No. 4 Davydenko) and 2012 (l. to No. 4 Murray). After his 2012 run, he reached his career-high of No. 8.
But now Tipsarevic is relying on a protected ranking of No. 88. He will face No. 22 seed Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round.
Other winners on a rainy day at the Masters 1000 event included Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz, a quarter-finalist at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (l. to Federer). Hurkacz beat Italy’s Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-3 and will next meet Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem.
Argentines Federico Delbonis and Guido Andreozzi also advanced. Delbonis beat German Peter Gojowczyk 6-4, 6-2 and will next meet 32nd seed John Millman. Andreozzi squeaked past Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 7-6(3), 6-4 and will play 15th seed Italian Fabio Fognini in the second round.
Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena setup a second-round meeting with Croatian Borna Coric, the 11th seed, by beating American Denis Kudla 6-1, 6-2. Elsewhere, Germany’s Mischa Zverev saved eight match points in the second set of his victory over Spanish wild card Nicola Kuhn, who retired at 2-2 in the deciding set.