Van de Zandschulp struck at his third competition point. For a place in the final, Van de Zandschulp has to deal with Aleksandr Boeblik. The first placed Kazak won from his countryman Aleksander Sjevtsjenko (6-4 6-2). For Van de Zandschulp, it is the first time in more than two years that he is in the last four tennis players of an ATP tournament. In April 2023 he lost the final in Munich of the Deen Holger Rune.
In the first set, Van de Zandschulp was already broken in his first service game. The Tennisser born in Wageningen hit back immediately afterwards. Both tennis players then returned their service again, after which Van de Zandschulp in the tiebreak was clearly the strongest.
Van de Zandschulp made the difference in the second set by winning the service of Seyboth Wild at 3-2. At 5-2 the Dutchman did that again.
Thanks to his good results in Kitzbühel, Van de Zandschulp stands for a return to the Top 100. Due to his moderate performance of the last months, he had recently fallen outside. Van de Zandschulp is currently the global number 103.
Jesper de Jong. © AFP
Jesper de Jong strands in Umag
Jesper de Jong was switched off in the Croatian Umag in the quarterfinals of the ATP tournament. The 25-year-old Dutch tennis player lost in two sets of the two-year-older Spaniard Carlos Taberner: 5-7 3-6.
De Jong was in the Swedish Bastad on Sunday for the first time in the final of an ATP tournament. He went down in three sets against the Italian Luciano Darderi. De Jong made a leap on the world ranking through his final place. He climbed from the 106th to 83rd place.
Matwé Middelkoop ends up tennis career
Matwé Middelkoop stops tennis. The 41-year-old Prof reports this through his social media. Middelkoop mainly caused a furore in the doubles. He won a double title fourteen times.
Middelkoop played his last tournament in the Croatian Umag together with Iñigo Cervantes. On the way back to the Netherlands, Middelkoop announced his farewell via a written message on LinkedIn. He thanked everyone who was involved in his career.
Middelkoop writes that the tennis has given him more than he could ever have dreamed. “I could only have hoped for the career I had, but it’s time to start my next chapter,” said the tennis player who became a professional in 2002. Middelkoop will remain involved in tennis in the coming period and want to share its experience with others.