Former world No 3 beaten by Daniel Altmaier at US Open

German deployed underarm serve in fourth set

A frustrated Stefanos Tsitsipas took exception to his opponent’s tactics after blowing a match point and exiting the US Open in the second round courtesy of a five-set loss to Daniel Altmaier on Thursday.

The 7-6 (5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 defeat means the former world No 3 Tsitsipas will end the season without playing in the third round of a grand slam for the first time since 2017.

Altmaier deployed the legal but rarely used underarm serve a few times as he rallied in the fourth set and Tsitsipas let the German know he did not approve as the pair shook hands at the end of a contest that lasted four hours and 26 minutes.