Botic van de Zandschulp pulled off one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent US Open history, eliminating French lucky loser Arthur Gea in five sets after 5 hours and 13 minutes of gruelling tennis in the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
The 30-year-old Dutchman, ranked 70th in the world, was two sets down and facing a match point in the third set tiebreak when everything looked lost. But van de Zandschulp refused to buckle, rallying to claim a 3-6, 6-7(0-7), 7-6(9-7), 7-6(7-3), 6-4 victory in what became the fourth longest match on record at the tournament.
Gea, a 21-year-old ranked 87th, had entered the draw as a lucky loser — losing in the final round of qualifying to Nishesh Basavareddy before receiving a reprieve when 2022 finalist Casper Ruud withdrew injured before the event began. The Frenchman seized his opportunity, beating Cerundolo, Svajda and Zheng to reach the last 16 for the first time in a Grand Slam main draw.
But his dream run ended against a resurgent van de Zandschulp. After cruising through the opening two sets, Gea held match point in the third-set tiebreak at 6-5. He could not convert it, and the momentum shifted decisively. Gea also had the chance to serve out the match in the fourth set, but van de Zandschulp broke back and levelled the contest.
"No clue actually," van de Zandschulp said afterwards. "Crazy comeback — five hours, 15 minutes, still standing, so that's a good thing." The reward for his perseverance is a quarter-final meeting with top seed Alexander Zverev. For Gea, there is at least the consolation of a vastly increased prize purse — his earnings jumped from the $66,000 he expected from qualifying to $480,000.
The clash with Zverev poses an enormous challenge for van de Zandschulp, who faces a race to recover after a match that drained every physical and mental resource. The German, the defending champion, dispatched Italy's Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(7-3) in the round of 16.
Sources
- [BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.com/sport/tennis/articles/cx2zj6223dpo)
- [The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/tennis/us-open-arthur-gea-botic-van-de-zandschulp-alexander-zverev-b3046347.html)
