Alex de Minaur Shocked by Botic van de Zandschulp at US Open
Alex de Minaur’s US Open campaign ended with a jolt in the second round, undone by the precision and persistence of Dutch opponent Botic van de Zandschulp in a straight-sets defeat that few saw coming.
Across two hours and 43 minutes, the Australian never quite found the gear that has made him a regular in the second week of majors. Van de Zandschulp, methodical and unflustered, walked away with a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 win and a place in the third round, leaving de Minaur to pack his bags far earlier than expected.
First Set
The tone was set in the opening set. De Minaur chased, scrambled, tried to inject pace, but the Dutchman kept dragging him into longer exchanges, picking his moments to strike. One loose service game was all it took. Van de Zandschulp grabbed the break and locked up the first set 6-4, already hinting that this might not follow the script.
Second Set
The second set turned into a grind. De Minaur pushed harder, stepped closer to the baseline, and tried to turn the match into a footrace. He created half-chances, glimpses of momentum, but each time van de Zandschulp shut the door. At 5-5, the pressure finally told on the Australian’s serve. The Dutchman pounced, broke, and coolly served out the set 7-5 to take a commanding two-set lead.
Third Set
From there, the contest slipped away quickly. With the scoreboard against him and the match edging towards three hours, de Minaur’s resistance faded. Van de Zandschulp tightened his grip, broke early in the third, and never looked back. The final set raced to 6-2, sealing a straight-sets victory in which the Dutch player claimed every set and never allowed de Minaur a foothold.
ABC News Australia labelled the result an upset, and on ranking and expectation, it was exactly that. De Minaur, seen as a dangerous presence on hard courts, exits in the second round, his last swing of the racquet at this year’s US Open coming much sooner than he or Australian fans would have imagined.
For van de Zandschulp, it is a statement win. For de Minaur, it is a stark reminder: in New York, reputations mean little once the first ball is struck.
