Dutch tennis player Botic van de Zandschulp saved match point to avoid losing in straight sets, before staging a huge comeback to advance to the US Open quarterfinals.
The 30-year-old, who downed Australian Alex de Minaur in a second-round upset at Flushing Meadows, was on the brink of defeat against Frenchman Arthur Gea but recovered to make it to a grand slam quarterfinal for the second time in his career.
Gea, who got into the main draw tournament when 2022 runner-up Casper Ruud pulled out with a back injury, was trying to become the first lucky loser to make a men’s singles grand slam quarterfinal.
After winning the opening two sets, Gea had match point in the third-set tiebreaker, but van de Zandschulp saved that, then staged his comeback to claim a 3-6, 6-7(0), 7-6(7), 7-6(3), 6-4 victory in 5 hours, 13 minutes.
It was the fourth-longest match in US Open history.
“I think this is probably better than the first quarterfinal I made here,” van de Zandschulp said, referring to his other US Open quarterfinal appearance in 2021.
“It hasn’t sunk in yet, but I think tomorrow it’s going to be a great feeling.”
Zverev through to quarterfinals in straight sets
Men’s top seed Alexander Zverev has marched into the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows with a 6-2 6-2 7-6(3) straight-sets win over Italian Luciano Darderi.
Germany’s Alexander Zverev defeated Italy’s Luciano Darderi in their round of 16 match at the US Open. (Reuters: Eduardo Munoz)
It is a second consecutive straight-sets win for the German, after opening his grand slam with back-to-back five-setters in New York.
Zverev, who claimed his maiden grand slam title at this year’s French Open, was expecting a much later night in New York, but was able to wrap up his victory before midnight, local time.Â
“I think after 10 hours on court, I just maybe found my rhythm a little bit better, which is helpful because the first two matches were really not great level,” Zverev said.
“I think I’m going in the right direction, moving forward in the right direction.”
Zverev will face van de Zandschulp in the quarterfinals.Â
Number 28 seed Alexander Blockx beat 24th seed Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to become the first man from Belgium to reach the US Open quarterfinals, where he will play Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov also needed five sets to advance to the quarterfinal stage, downing American 14th seed Learner Tien 7-5, 4-6, 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4.
ABC/AP/Reuters
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