Van de Zandschulp completes 5-hour comeback to reach US Open quarter-finals
Botic van de Zandschulp rallied from two sets down to beat Arthur Gea in 5 hours and 13 minutes and reach the US Open quarter-finals. He will face Alexander Zverev next.
Van de Zandschulp fights back from two sets down to reach US Open quarter-finals...
Botic van de Zandschulp staged a comeback from two sets down to defeat Arthur Gea 3-6, 6-7(0), 7-6(7), 7-6(3), 6-4 and reach the US Open last eight on Monday.
The Dutchman ended the Frenchman's bid for history, as 21-year-old Gea missed out on becoming the first men's lucky loser to make a Grand Slam quarter-final.
A total of 12 lucky losers players who lost in qualifying but got into the main draw due to withdrawals had previously reached the last 16 at Grand Slams, but none had gone beyond that.
World No.87 Gea fell in the final round of qualifying but got into the US Open draw after 18th seed Casper Ruud pulled out with a back injury.
He came close to making history, but van de Zandschulp saved a match point in the third set. Almost two hours later, the Dutchman completed the comeback to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2021.
The five-hour, 13-minute battle was just short of the US Open record. That mark was set in 2024 when Dan Evans beat Karen Khachanov 5 hours, 35 minutes in the first round.
A drained van de Zandschulp told the crowd afterwards that he had no idea how he pulled it off.
“No clue actually,” the 30-year-old said. “Crazy comeback - five hours, 15 minutes, still standing, so that's a good thing.
“I think this is probably even better than the first quarter-final I made here,” added van de Zandschulp. “It's been some tough years, but started to play better this year again.
“It hasn't really sunk in yet, but I think tomorrow it's going to be a great feeling.”
Van de Zandschulp will face top seed Alexander Zverev next.
The Dutchman has a history of upsets at Flushing Meadows. In 2024 he knocked out then-world No.3 Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the second round.
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