Winning return for Tipsarevic
Janko Tipsarevic made a dramatic return to competitive tennis after over a year out of action as he survived a tough opening match at the US Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston.
The Serbian, who reached a career-high ranking of eighth three years ago, has recovered from foot surgery to resume his career, and battled past Brazilian qualifier Guilherme Clezar in three tight sets.
He won 6-4 3-6 7-6 (9/7) against the world number 186, saving two match points in the process.
Tipsarevic had not played since the Valencia Open in October 2013, when he had to abandon a match against Marcel Granollers after sustaining a serious injury to his left foot.
“In my mind, I don’t feel like I was away for so long,” he said on the ATP website.
“I felt like this was a match I needed to win. I was ready and I was fit. I had no confidence coming in, but saving match points with forehand winners down the line maybe proved otherwise. I really felt I had to win this match and I would have been really sad otherwise.
“I’m in pain everywhere, but the foot is good.”
Next for 30-year-old Tipsarevic will be Colombian fifth seed Santiago Giraldo, who eased to a 6-2 6-2 win against another Brazilian qualifier in Rogerio Dutra Silva.
Others to reach the last-16 stage were Fernando Verdasco, Jack Sock, Jeremy Chardy, Steve Johnson, Teymuraz Gabashvili and Hyeon Chung.
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