Dutch qualifier Botic van de Zandschulp has continued his storybook march at the US Open, outlasting Argentine battler Diego Schwartzman 6-3 6-4 5-7 5-7 6-1 to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
After rolling through the opening two sets, the 25-year-old Dutchman looked poised for smooth passage into the last eight, but in the end, needed five sets, five match points and 4h 20m to tame the 11th seed.
Van de Zandschulp, No.117 in the world rankings, becomes just the third qualifier to reach the US Open men's quarter-finals, but could soon have company, with Germans Peter Gojowczyk and Oscar Otte looking to join him.
"I think what I have done for me, it's amazing that I beat No.11 here, especially in a match like this," says Van de Zandschulp, who next faces second seed Daniil Medvedev.
"For me, it was the first time in the big stadium. The crowd was amazing here.
"The next match is maybe going to be on Arthur Ashe, I think. It's going to be even more people there, so, I'm looking forward to it."
Medvedev fired off 13 aces to end British hope Dan Evans' challenge with a quickfire 6-3 6-4 6-3 victory in his fourth-round tie.
Evans survived a fifth set tiebreak against Alexei Popyrin to reach the last 16, but on day seven of the hardcourt major, he was no match for the Russian second seed.
Evans handed Medvedev the early break with a double fault in the fourth game of the first set and never recovered from that setback, as the Russian belted 43 winners.
Medvedev, who lost in the final to Rafa Nadal two years ago, closed out the final game of the second set in less than a minute, with a pair of aces and a service winner, and won all his first-service points in the third on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
He sealed the match in 1h 43m to roars from the rowdy New York crowd, which he won over in a remarkable transformation from villain to fan-favourite in 2019, reaching the quarter-finals for the third year in a row.
Reuters.
