US Open: Altmaier stuns Tsitsipas; De Minaur, Anisimova ease into Round 3

Stefanos Tsitsipas's Grand Slam struggles continued as he was bundled out of the US Open by Germany's Daniel Altmaier in a late-night thriller on the Grandstand. The 26th seed fell 7-6(5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 after more than four hours of gripping tennis, a contest that swung dramatically before Altmaier sealed it with a gutsy fifth set.

The German, who had already come through a five-set battle in the opening round, saved a match point at 4-5, 30/40 in the decider before completing one of the biggest wins of his career. Altmaier was fearless in approach, serve-and-volleying 28 times - 14 of them in the final set - and left the court drained but jubilant.

"It's a big relief," Altmaier said afterwards. "I was a break down in the fourth and from that point on I just said that I would try to leave all my energy here. After the first round playing five sets, I left my heart out here."

US Open Day 5 HIGHLIGHTS

For Altmaier, it was a breakthrough moment. Twice a fourth-rounder at Roland Garros, he had never gone beyond the first round in 11 previous attempts at the other three majors. Tsitsipas, meanwhile, has now failed to progress past the second round in his last six Grand Slam appearances, underlining a worrying slump for the two-time major finalist.

Earlier in the day, Alex de Minaur kept Australian hopes alive with a commanding 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 victory over Japan's Shintaro Mochizuki. The eighth seed, who fended off 11 break points in his first three service games before tightening his grip, committed just 23 unforced errors compared to Mochizuki's 50.

It marked the eighth consecutive year that de Minaur has reached the third round in New York, and he has yet to drop a set this fortnight. The 25-year-old will next face Altmaier in a clash that promises to test both players' physical and mental reserves.

On the women's side, Amanda Anisimova powered past Australian teenager Maya Joint 7-6(2), 6-2 in the final match on Louis Armstrong. The American, seeded eighth, steadied after a tight opening set to secure her place in the third round for the first time at Flushing Meadows since 2020.

Anisimova, who has now won 10 of her last 13 matches, continues to enjoy a resurgent season. Thursday's win marked her 35th of the year, underlining her growing credentials as a serious contender in New York.