TOKYO: US Open finalist Taylor Fritz crashed out of the Japan Open in the first round on Thursday and Frances Tiafoe and Stefanos Tsitsipas joined him on a day of shocks in Tokyo.

Top seed Fritz was bundled out 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 by France’s Arthur Fils.

It came just hours after number seven seed Tiafoe was eliminated with a 7-5, 6-3 loss to fellow American Brandon Nakashima.

Greece’s Tsitsipas, the number four seed, went out with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 defeat to American qualifier Alex Michelsen.

Fritz needed a medical time-out to deal with a back issue during the second set.

He could not recover as world number 24 Fils closed out the match in just over two hours to set up a second-round match with Italy’s Matteo Berrettini.

Defending Japan Open champion Ben Shelton went through with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over fellow American Reilly Opelka.

Britain’s US Open semi-finalist Jack Draper also advanced in Tokyo after beating Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci 6-4, 6-2.

American Tommy Paul, the number five seed, beat Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-2. Number six seed Holger Rune of Denmark outlasted Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori, a two-time former champion at the tournament, beat Croatia’s Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024