Colombian qualifier Daniel Galan defeated fourth-seeded Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-0 6-1 3-6 7-5 in a dramatic first-round encounter at the US Open on Monday, winning on the ninth match point.

Galan, who was playing in the main tournament for the first time, seemed completely at home on tennis’ grandest stage, winning the first 11 games as Tsitsipas struggled to find any of his customary finesse and won only five of his serve points in the first set.

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“He dominated the match. I just couldn’t get into it,” Tsitsipas said after the match.

Tsitsipas’ poor form was evident from the fact that he made as many as 56 unforced errors. He was so underwhelming that he only won one game in the first two sets against the strong Galan. Tsitsipas needed up to 54 minutes to win his first game.

Despite his efforts in the third and fourth sets, he was always playing catch-up after losing the first two. Tsitsipas also had four double faults and struggled with second serves, scoring only 45 percent of the time.

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Tsitsipas had his right arm treated by a physio before the sixth game of the second set, when he ultimately broke Galan, and again during the break before the third set, when he broke Galan in the second game.

Tsitsipas, who has never advanced beyond the third round in New York and had hoped to do better this year after reaching the Cincinnati final, missed only four of his first-serve points in the third set and appeared to have the momentum when he broke Galan again in the first game of the fourth set.

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“I just stayed calm. I lost the set but I felt I was doing better and better,” Galan, who broke back in the eighth, said.

Galan, drenched in sweat and cheered on by the crowd, nearly broke Tsitsipas for the match five times in the 10th game, and finally did it in the 12th, staring at the stands in shock.

“I can’t explain how I feel right now,” Galan said after the match. “I went through the match well.”