Delray Beach Open stunner: Part-time, 784th-ranked tennis player upsets former champion
This was even better than selling a waterfront estate in Delray Beach.
The upset of the 2023 tennis season occurred at the Delray Beach Open Tuesday night.
In a Delray Miracle, a 784th-ranked, 33-year-old part-time player, Matija Pecotic, upset Jack Sock, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 to win his first main-draw match.
“It’s a moment of disbelief," Pecotic said.
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Who is Matija Pecotic?
Pecotic, a southpaw from Croatia, lives in West Palm Beach and works full time for Wexford Real Estate in West Palm.
The former journeyman had to leave work early to make his 6 p.m. match against Sock, a former top 10 player from Nebraska and formerly America’s great hope.
Pecotic had left the tour once the pandemic hit, realizing his tennis dreams after being a star at Princeton were over. He still had a protected ranking but couldn’t get into the Delray qualifying event directly. On a whim, he put himself down as an alternate.
“If I didn’t get in, I go back to work on Monday," Pecotic said.
Last Friday, Pecotic was told he didn’t make the qualifying tournament, but he returned to Delray Saturday to pick up three rackets he had strung. When Pecotic arrived, a tournament official said he might get into the qualifier since a player may withdraw.
Twenty minutes before that qualifier, he was entered. Even though the court announcer mistakenly introduced the player who had withdrawn, Pecotic beat Stefan Kozlov in his first qualifying match. Then Pecotic took out former Australian Open quarterfinalist Tennys Sandgren, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, to qualify for his first ATP main draw.
Next was Sock, who took a 4-0 lead. It figured this one could be a double-bagel and the Cinderella story was over. However, Pecotic came storming back, sending tennis Twitter ablaze.
“Incredible match," Pecotic said on the court afterward to the cheering throng.
Later, at his post-match news conference, Pecotic tried to tamp down expectations of pulling such an upset."You've got to be realistic," Pecotic said. "This is a former top-10 guy with an incredible amount of tennis experience and a huge serve. He came out serving 134 mph on the first serve. It would be arrogant to think I'm going to come out and expect to win."
Pecotic said being in Florida has at least kept him tennis-sharp. But in preparation for entering the Delray qualifier, he’s been hitting with a 55-year-old and his 70-year-old boss at the real estate/hedge fund/family planning firm.
Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul debut Thursday at Delray Beach Open
On Thursday, No. 1 American Taylor Fritz and Aussie semifinalist Tommy Paul are due to debut. Pecotic lost Wednesday in the Round of 16 to Marcos Giron. Giron, a 2014 NCAA champion, 6-3, 6-3. Giron had pulled off an upset, too, beating former University of Florida tennis standout Ben Shelton in Round 1.
When asked if he could rethink joining the tour (he once reached as high as 325 in 2019), Pecotic said: "Maybe we should ask the crowd. Should I give it another go on the tour?”
The fans erupted.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tennis stunner: Jack Sock falls to part-time player in Delray Beach
