Van de Zandschulp reaches US Open quarter-finals for second time

Dutch number one tennis player Botic van de Zandschulp has reached the quarter-finals of the US Open after winning a five-hour marathon against Frenchman Arthur Gea.

The 30-year-old came back from two sets down to win the third and fourth sets on a tie-break before clinching the final set 6-4 in a match that swung back and forth.

Van de Zandschulp was warned by the umpire at one point for smashing a ball out of the stadium in frustration, but regained his composure as he wore down Gea, who only got into the tournament as a lucky loser.

“I’ve had some tough years, but since this year things have gone better,” he said afterwards. “I still need to let it sink in, but tomorrow I’ll probably wake up feeling good.”

Gea took the first set 6-3 after Van de Zandschulp failed to convert two break points at 3-3, while in the second set the Dutchman surrendered a 4-1 lead before losing the tie-break to love.

Van de Zandschulp was on the point of going out in straight sets when Gea served for the match in the third-set tie-break.

But the Dutchman won the point and went on to take the fourth set, also on a tie-break, before making the decisive break at 3-3 in the decider. He served out the match to wrap up the win in five hours, 13 minutes.

His reward is a daunting quarter-final against the top seed, Alexander Zverev, after the German beat Italy’s Luciano Darderi in straight sets. Zverev is aiming for his second Grand Slam title after winning the French Open in June and reaching the final of Wimbledon.