Thiago Agustin Tirante produced the biggest win of his career on Saturday, coming from a set down to stun Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Cincinnati Open.
The Argentine, who broke into the top 50 for the first time this week, fought through two hours and 44 minutes of draining humidity at the Family Lindner Tennis Center to knock out the No. 3 seed. It was his third victory over a top-10 opponent this season, after beating Taylor Fritz in the Montreal fourth round just last week, but by his own admission this one carries a different weight.
Djokovic, a three-time champion in Cincinnati who had won the last two editions he played, took the opening set with ease and appeared in control at 2-2 in the second. The match was then briefly overshadowed by a health scare for the 39-year-old, who vomited during a changeover and required a medical timeout before carrying on. From that moment the momentum shifted. Tirante broke to level the set, closed it out, and then delivered the decisive break in the ninth game of the decider before serving out the match to love.
