Dramatic exit of Tallon Greek track after wear and tear, Botic van de Zandschulp through after giving up opponent | Tennis

Arthur Fils alternated pulling legs with stretching and stretching. He dribbled short stretches between points, bent to his knees, his face twisted in pain. At some point, the Frenchman first hung in the boarding and then literally collapsed. He then gave away a whole game ‘free’ to overcome the cramp attack in his leg – radiating to his entire body – on his bench. All in all, you didn’t give a cent more for it in that fourth set.

Tallon Greek track on the other side of the net was certainly not armpit fresh either, but at the age of 27 with all those years of experience in his legs, he seemed to have the upper hand against the 19-year-old Frenchman, who barely played best-of-five games. and never won one. But Fils overcame the cramp and really pulled this five-setter out of the fire: 4-6, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, 7-5.

The embrace at the net after four hours of tennis in stuffy New York was respectful and meaningful. Greek track could somehow appreciate the performance of the resilient Fils, it seemed. No matter how bitter the defeat was. His opponent, the number 48 in the world, had never won a match at this level. And yet it was not a nice draw for the best Dutch tennis player in advance.

Greek track started off so sharply. He immediately created a break point in the opening game and used it. The next game he had to work to avoid being broken back, but when that didn’t happen, he was loose. With three love games in a row, Greek track was sovereign, especially on its own service. At 5-4, serving the set seemed to be exciting, but from 30-30 he played a great defensive point and hit an ace on set point.

The roles were reversed in the second set. Greek rail service was less damaging and Fils decided to take a more offensive approach. Started hitting harder, deeper too, and dominated most of the rallies. His forehand was especially powerful, and Fils regularly searched for the net with fast passes, another tried and tested recipe. The Frenchman had to eliminate five breakpoints from the Greek track, but he did so convincingly. Now it was his early break that was enough for a set win.

The third company went fairly evenly, but at 6-5 for Glazenspoor the difference between the two seemed to emerge. A huge mistake on the net and a wrong choice, undoubtedly motivated by stress, cost Fils dearly. Greek track had made it in that game itself and was rewarded.

It seemed like a crucial moment in the game. But early in the fourth set, the Greek track called in the physiotherapist. He had treatment on his left upper leg, or groin. Especially when serving, it was clearly visible that he could not fully use his standing leg. But Fils was also anything but fresh. He had a cramp, something you can get treated for in tennis. At 3-3 he even gave a whole game for free to the Greeks to sit on his bench and talk to the doctor while stretching. He was about to fall over, literally, but miraculously managed to win three games in a row – and with that the set.

Then it was a matter of survival. Who wasted the least energy, could keep the points short and had the nerves under control? Greek track had the experience, but Fils could count on the American fans on track 10, who appreciated his fighting spirit. Adrenaline had apparently dissipated the cramp. At 5-5 he placed the break, and then cashed in the third match point.

For example, this year’s grand slams are out of step with the rest of the Greek track season. He won two titles, resulting in a 24th place in the world ranking. A great result at a grand slam tournament, that will undoubtedly be his goal for 2024.

Botic van de Zandschulp did reach the second round of the US Open, but the number 65 in the world did not have to win three sets. Jordan Thompson injured his ankle in the first set. The Australian, number 51 in the world, still finished the set, but then threw in the towel. Van de Zandschulp won the first set 6-3. An interesting detail is that Van de Zandschulp had to deal with an ankle injury in the run-up to the US Open. That kept him out of action for about six weeks.

The Dutchman started well against the number 51 in the world and immediately managed to force a service break: 3-0. Thompson broke back after a long game, but still looked frustrated. He had hurt his right ankle early in the game and was walking with difficulty. Van de Zandschulp managed to break again at 4-3 and finished the set with a love game. When he sat on his bench, Thompson decided to congratulate him, after which the Australian slunk off disappointed. In June, Thompson was still in the final battle of the grass tournament in Rosmalen, where he lost to Tallon Grepe track.

Van de Zandschulp will compete in the second round against the winner of the duel between the British Dan Evans and Daniel Galan from Colombia. Evans is seeded 26th. For Van de Zandschulp (27) it is the first time since Wimbledon that he has reached the second round. Since then he only played in one tournament due to an ankle injury. Last week he immediately lost his first match on his return in Winston-Salem.