NEW YORK — Casper Ruud, the 2022 US Open runner-up, was eradicated Wednesday night time when Zhizhen Zhang grew to become the primary Chinese language man to beat a participant within the high 5 of the ATP rating.
Zhang upset the No. 5 seed 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2 to succeed in the third spherical of a Grand Slam match for the second time. It was his second five-set victory to open this match after he misplaced his first 4 five-setters.
Zhang grew to become the primary Chinese language man to compete in the principle draw at Wimbledon within the skilled period when he certified in 2021. He certified final yr on the US Open, becoming a member of Yibing Wu as the primary males from their nation in the principle draw of the yr’s last Grand Slam match.
The 26-year-old Zhang reached the third spherical of the French Open in June earlier than falling to Ruud, who had been to the finals in three of the final six Grand Slam occasions.
Ruud, who misplaced to Carlos Alcaraz final yr in Flushing Meadows, is the highest-ranked Norwegian within the historical past of the ATP rating, which dates to 1973. He had reached No. 2 final yr and is presently No. 5.
However after dropping the fourth set in simply 23 minutes, Zhang broke Ruud’s serve to open the ultimate set, including a second for a 4-1 lead.
He’ll face Rinky Hijikata of Australia within the third spherical.
With No. 4 seed Holger Rune and Ruud each out, it marks the primary time since 2006 that a number of males seeded within the high 5 misplaced earlier than the third spherical of a US Open. In 2006, 3-seed Ivan Ljubičić misplaced within the first spherical, whereas No. 4 David Nalbandian was knocked out within the second.
Ruud, additionally the runner-up on the French Open in 2022 and 2023, is the primary US Open finalist to lose within the first two rounds of the next yr’s match since Kei Nishikori, who misplaced within the first spherical in 2015 after ending runner-up to Marin Cilic in 2014.
ESPN Stats & Info and The Related Press contributed to this report.
