Fresh off his biggest career victory against 2022 US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz, Botic van de Zandschulp seeks success against No. 25 seed Jack Draper in Saturday's third-round match.
The Dutchman stunned Arthur Ashe into silence by beating the Spaniard in straight sets, and he looks to avoid an immediate exit against Britain's No. 1 player.
Match preview
© Imago
Van de Zandschulp headed into his second-round match with Alcaraz having never claimed a set against the four-time Grand Slam champion in two meetings but notched three without a reply to clinch a deserved 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 victory over the 2022 champion.
The 28-year-old's ball-striking was admirable throughout and his front-foot style threw off his higher-ranked opponent, underscored by converting 28 of his 35 net points.
While many observers envisaged a Jannik Sinner-Alcaraz semi-final, the World No. 74 had other ideas to set up Saturday's clash with Draper, giving all four players in that quarter of the draw a shot at reaching this year's last eight.
A possible match with David Goffin or Tomas Machac could follow in the fourth round, but the one-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist is taking his progress one match at a time.
Van de Zandschulp's sole last-eight appearance at a leading event came in the 2021 tournament in New York, and he is two victories away from matching his best showing in frankly unexpected circumstances.
© Imago
What looked to be an anticipated daunting proposition for Draper in Alcaraz has been replaced by a tolerable opponent in Van de Zandschulp, despite the Dutchman's stunning victory over the Spaniard.
Draper, like his No. 74-ranked opponent, has yet to drop a set en route to this weekend's third-round encounter, with the 22-year-old keen to build on victories over Zhang Zhizhen and Facundo Diaz Acosta in rounds one and two, winning the latter 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
Britain's highest-ranked player may not have gone beyond the fourth round of any major in his embryonic career — unlike his Dutch opponent's 2021 run — but this year's tournament presents the 22-year-old with an opening after Alcaraz's elimination.
Having failed to build on his first Tour-level win in the lead-up to Wimbledon, where he exited in the second round, Draper aims to take advantage of a US Open favourite's exit and advance to consecutive fourth-round matches in New York to match last year's performance.
He has already outdone his 2024 showing in the leading events by reaching round three — following two second-round exits in Australia and Wimbledon and a tournament-opening loss at Roland Garros — and hopes his 71% win rate at the US Open before this year's event stands him in good stead against Van de Zandschulp.
Tournament so far
Botic van de Zandschulp:
First round: vs. Denis Shapovalov 6-4 7-5 6-4
Second round: vs. Carlos Alcaraz 6-1 7-5 6-4
Jack Draper:
First round: vs. Zhang Zhizhen 6-3 6-0 4-0 ret.
Second round: vs. Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-4 6-2 6-2
Head To Head
Saturday's US Open third-round match will be the pair's first meeting on the ATP Tour, adding extra intrigue ahead of their encounter.
The British player's one career title outdoes the 28-year-old, who awaits a first Tour-level victory.
Van de Zandschulp's win-loss 11-18 record in 2024 is inferior to Draper's 25-17.
We say: Draper to win in four sets
Both players face pressure for different reasons: Van de Zandschulp to maintain his high level after defeating Alcaraz, and Draper to capitalise on being the favourite on Saturday.
We are backing the British player to come through, as the younger left-handed player poses a distinctive challenge to his 28-year opponent, thus sealing consecutive round-four appearances at statistically his preferred Slam.
