NEW YORK — Casper Ruud, the 2022 US Seen runner-up, was once eradicated Wednesday evening when Zhizhen Zhang changed into the primary Chinese language guy to overcome a participant within the manage 5 of the ATP rating.
Zhang disillusioned the Incorrect. 5 seed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 to succeed in the 3rd spherical of a Magnificent Slam match for the second one month. It was once his 2d five-set victory to discoverable this match then he misplaced his first 4 five-setters.
Zhang changed into the primary Chinese language guy to compete in the primary draw at Wimbledon within the skilled year when he certified in 2021. He certified endmost 12 months at the USA Seen, becoming a member of Yibing Wu as the primary males from their nation in the primary draw of the 12 months’s ultimate Magnificent Slam match.
“Last year at the US Open, I can say it was a bad memory. But this year is a little bit different,” stated Zhang, who squandered seven fit issues in his 2022 opener earlier than shedding to Tim van Rijthoven in 5 units.
The 26-year-old Zhang reached the 3rd spherical of the French Seen in June earlier than falling to Ruud, who have been to the finals in 3 of the age six Magnificent Slam occasions.
Ruud, who misplaced to Carlos Alcaraz endmost 12 months in Flushing Meadows, is the highest-ranked Norwegian within the historical past of the ATP rating, which dates to 1973. He had reached Incorrect. 2 endmost 12 months and is these days Incorrect. 5.
However then losing the fourth i’m ready in simply 23 mins, Zhang beggarly Ruud’s lend to discoverable the overall i’m ready, including a 2d for a 4-1 supremacy.
He’ll face Rinky Hijikata of Australia within the 3rd spherical.
With Incorrect. 4 seed Holger Rune and Ruud each out, it marks the primary month since 2006 that more than one males seeded within the manage 5 misplaced earlier than the 3rd spherical of a US Seen. In 2006, 3-seed Ivan Ljubičić misplaced within the first spherical, week Incorrect. 4 David Nalbandian was once knocked out in the second one.
Ruud, additionally the runner-up on the French Seen in 2022 and 2023, is the primary US Seen finalist to lose within the first two rounds of please see 12 months’s match since Kei Nishikori, who misplaced within the first spherical in 2015 then completing runner-up to Marin Cilic in 2014.
ESPN Stats & Data, The Related Press and Reuters contributed to this record.
