When it seemed that everything could be under control, one step was left. Diego Schwartzman (14th) was eliminated from the US Open after losing to Botic Van de Zandschulp (117th) in five sets by 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7 and 6-1.
The Argentine did not have the expected start and met a really high level of who became the Grand Slam revelation New Yorker.
The Dutchman was broken up in the third (4-2) and then Peque came back at 7-5. In the fourth set, at 5-4, he had two match points but the Argentine managed to reverse the story to force a fifth. There, Van de Zandschulp would squander two more match points at 5-1 before closing the game 6-1 on his fifth match point.
Just under four and a half hours were enough for the Dutchman to take a victory that places him in the quarterfinals of the last Major of the season, where it will be measured against Daniil Medvedev (2nd), who comes from beating Daniel Evans (27th) in straight sets.
The one from qualifying was thus charged to the second consecutive Argentine, since in the third round had surpassed Facundo Bagnis (80 °) by 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 and 6-2.
In this way, Small failed to advance to the US Open quarterfinals for the third time. He had already achieved it in 2017 and 2019, while last year he fell in the first round.
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