Stefanos Tsitsipas has advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, following his German opponent’s decision to withdraw from the competition.

Philipp Kohlschreiber made the difficult announcement ahead of their match on Wednesday due to a muscle strain.

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Seeded sixth, the 21-year-old Greek star will go on to play either Canada’s Milos Raonic or Chilean Cristian Garin. Both Raonic and Garin are new opponents for Tsitsipas who has yet to play either of them.

Despite having recently lost the first round of two consecutive Slams, Melbourne has proven to be a special place for Tsitsipas when it comes to his performance, as the city where he made his Grand Slam breakthrough in 2019, advancing to the semi-finals. Fans will be on the edge of their seats, hoping for a similar fate this year.

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