On Thursday, Carlos Alcaraz survived a scare, and will play at the US Open quarterfinals for the first time in his career.
On Monday, U.S. Open quarterfinalist Carlos Alcaraz became the youngest player since 1963 to advance to the quarterfinals of a major. The 18-year-old native of Mexico sailed past his first two opponents, both former professionals, this afternoon at La Cancha, the storied 18-hole course at the Tres Marias Golf Club in Mexico.
The youngest man to make the quarterfinals at the US Open was 18-year-old Carlos Alcaraz, who reached the last 16 last year. Here is a look at the youngest men to make the quarterfinals at the US Open since 1963.
NEW YORK (WABC) — On Sunday, Carlos Alcaraz made history by being the youngest man to reach the quarterfinals of the US Open since 1963.
At Flushing Meadows, the 18-year-old from Spain advanced to the last eight after defeating 141st-ranked qualifier Peter Gojowczyk of Germany 5-7, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0.
Alcaraz will face No. 12 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, a 21-year-old Canadian who advanced to his second consecutive major quarterfinal by beating Frances Tiafoe of the United States 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-4 with 24 aces.
When questioned about Alcaraz, Auger-Aliassime said, “At some point, age is only a number.” “He already has the sense of an accomplished player.”
The 55th-ranked Alcaraz defeated No. 3 Stefanos Tsitsipas in his last match, becoming the first player since Michael Chang at the 1988 U.S. Open to win two five-set Grand Slam matches in a row.
Auger-Aliassime had never advanced to the last eight of a Grand Slam event until Wimbledon in July, a month before his 21st birthday on August 8. Since Juan Martin del Potro reached three consecutive major quarterfinals in 2008-09, the Canadian is the youngest player to do so.
On Sunday, Botic van de Zandschulp also created history.
For his 4 hour, 20 minute, will-he-or-won’t-he-blow-it win, he was playing at Louis Armstrong Stadium for the first time, an amazing accomplishment for the Dutch qualifier.
Add in the fact that Van de Zandschulp had never visited the United States prior to the US Open.
Van de Zandschulp is now in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows, making him just the third male qualifier to reach that stage in the Open’s history.
“I don’t believe anybody anticipated me to make it to the quarterfinals here before the competition,” he added.
On Sunday, Van de Zandschulp extended his remarkable run by defeating No. 11 Diego Schwartzman 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7, 6-1.
For the first time since the event started collecting qualifying records in 1982, Van de Zandschulp was part of a trio of US Open qualifiers that advanced to the fourth round. Since the Open era started in 1968, he is just the third men’s qualifier to reach the quarterfinals, joining Nicolas Escude (1999) and Gilles Muller (2008).
The ninth-year pro had just five tour-level victories prior to the US Open, had never been ranked higher than 117 in the world, and had never progressed beyond the second round of a Grand Slam event.
“His strategy worked wonderfully today,” Schwartzman remarked. “Perhaps I got lucky in the third and fourth games to keep the match going today since he was playing better than me.”
His next opponent is No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, who advanced to the quarterfinals of the US Open with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 victory against Daniel Evans on Sunday.
For the third year in a row, Medvedev had failed to lose a set on his route to the quarterfinals, and van de Zandschulp would be the third unseeded opponent he would meet at Flushing Meadows. Evans was ranked 24th.
“My level rises when I’m playing against people who are better than me or better in general,” van de Zandschulp remarked. “I’d rather play against superior players.”
Van de Zandschulp, 25, had previously eliminated No. 8 seed Casper Ruud in the second round. He also lost the opening set in each of his first three US Open matches until beating Schwartzman.
The qualifiers have already had a busy season. When Aslan Karatsev of Russia reached the semifinals of the Australian Open this year, he was a qualifier.
However, there were indications that van de Zandschulp might be a Slams surprise. This year, he went 11-1 in Grand Slam qualifying. He reached the second round of Wimbledon’s main draw as a fortunate loser (getting into the bracket after someone else withdrew).
He stated, “I knew I could defeat players who were rated 20 or 10 in the world.” “But I didn’t do it as often or as regularly as this. I believe I’m playing consistently well here and have shown some excellent tennis throughout the tournament. So, that’s something new for me.”
This article was written with the help of the Associated Press.
Carlos Alcaraz, a tennis player from Spain, advanced to the quarterfinals of the men’s U.S. Open for the first time in his career. The US Open, a tennis event held in Flushing, New York, is the second largest tennis tournament in the world after the Australian Open. This year, it is scheduled to take place from August 25 to September 11.. Read more about youngest female player at wimbledon 2021 and let us know what you think.
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