NEW DELHI: Zhang Zhizhen orchestrated a stunning upset on Wednesday, ousting fifth seed Casper Ruud from the US Open and etching his name in tennis history as the first male player from China to defeat a top-five opponent.
Hailing from Shanghai and holding the 67th world ranking, the 26-year-old delivered an extraordinary performance, capturing a memorable victory over last year's US Open finalist. The match concluded with a scoreline of 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 after an intense battle lasting 3 hours and 19 minutes.
Zhang's triumph stands as a monumental achievement, marking the first instance of any male Chinese player prevailing against a competitor ranked in the top five worldwide.
In the upcoming third round match on Friday, Zhang is set to face Australia's Rinky Hijikata, aiming to secure a berth in the Grand Slam's last 16 for the first time in his career.
Tempers flared after Ruud had levelled the match at two sets apiece with a 6-0 fourth set.
Zhang left the court for several minutes to take a toilet break and change clothes in a move that clearly disrupted Ruud's momentum.
The Norwegian was broken immediately in the first game of the final set, and a frustrated Ruud complained angrily at the chair umpire, accusing him of failing to enforce time limits.
"Why don't you do anything?" Ruud yelled at the umpire. "You follow the rules clearly some times then other times you don't give a shit. Why don't you do anything?"
With Ruud unravelling, Zhang rammed home his advantage. He broke again in the fifth game to take a 4-1 lead and then held for a 5-1 lead.
Ruud held serve to close the gap to 5-2, but Zhang would not be denied, producing a superb backhand volley on match point to seal victory.
(With inputs from AFP)
