Tsitsipas' Comeback Continues with Montreal First-Round Win

Stefanos Tsitsipas kept his comeback rolling in Montreal, beating Czech Martin Damm in a 98-minute first-round match to set up a meeting with Brazilian Joao Fonseca.

The 53rd-ranked Greek, who won the title in Gstaad last month, said a coaching change — he split from his father Apostolos for a second time — is now paying off under the guidance of coaches from Patrick Mouratoglou's French academy.

"It's a chapter that should have started a long time ago," Tsitsipas said. "I guess I was too patient with my time and too nice with handling certain things to take so much time to proceed with the change. But it's how life works."

"Certain things come at a certain time, I'm very Buddhist in that sort of philosophy. Now we are here, and we are doing it the way I like it. I want it to be done with a coach that I am happy with right now … someone that I trust."

Tsitsipas claimed the opening set against Damm and came back from a break down in the second to lead 5-2 with the chance to serve it out. But the Czech broke back, forcing Tsitsipas to clinch victory two games later on a forehand winner.

"I need to focus and concentrate, and that's what I was trying to do out there today, trying to keep it locked in as much as I could and not let any distractions get in the way," the 27-year-old said.

"Tennis is about milliseconds, getting properly behind the ball and being constantly well positioned. I felt in control up to two breaks, but things got tough. I have nothing to regret, I was able to fight my way through the match. I took a good grip to close it out."

Hubert Hurkacz, a 2022 Montreal finalist returning from a knee injury suffered at Wimbledon, marked his comeback with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 win over Marcos Giron.

Britain's Jakob Fearnley, a finalist at a hard court Challenger last month, beat French veteran Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 despite more than 30 unforced errors, booking a clash with 13th seed Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic.