Stefanos Tsitsipas will begin his campaign at the Japan Open in the qualifying rounds, from September 28–30.
The Greek tennis player was first on the alternate list to secure a spot in the main draw and skip the qualifying rounds, but that did not happen, as world No. 4 Ben Shelton’s spot was taken by No. 34 Alex Mikkelsen. As a result, the world No. 44 will make his debut in the first round of qualifying against Yoshito Nishioka.
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Tsitsipas Makes His Debut in Shanghai with an Eye on the Restart
Nishioka is ranked No. 201 in the world and has entered the tournament via a wild card, while his match against Tsitsipas is scheduled for Monday, September 28, at 5:00 a.m. Greek time.
To advance to the main draw, Tsitsipas will need two consecutive wins in the qualifying rounds. So, if he defeats the Japanese player, he will face the winner of the Hijikata-Karabeli match in his second qualifying round, and if he advances, he’ll wait to find out who his first opponent will be in the main draw. It’s worth noting that French player Arthur Fils is also in the qualifying draw.
*photo source: AP
