From match point to US Open exit – lucky loser denied history
France's Arthur Gea came within a point of becoming the first lucky loser to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final, but lost a marathon five-hour fourth-round match at the US Open to Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. Gea, 22, held a match point in the third-set tie-break but could not convert it, then failed to serve out the match in the fourth set, allowing Van de Zandschulp to fight back and win in five sets. The result denies Gea a piece of tennis history but caps a remarkable run for a player who only entered the main draw after Casper Ruud withdrew injured.
Van de Zandschulp won 3-6 6-7(0-7) 7-6(9-7) 7-6(7-3) 6-4 in five hours and 13 minutes, the fourth-longest match on record at Flushing Meadows, and now faces top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals. World number 87 Gea had to come through qualifying and beat three seeded or in-form opponents to reach the last 16, and despite the defeat will pocket $480,000 in prize money, far more than the $66,000 he expected after qualifying. Elsewhere, Belgium's Alexander Blockx battled through rib pain to reach his first Grand Slam quarter-final, where he will meet Russia's Karen Khachanov, who beat American 14th seed Learner Tien.
In short
- Arthur Gea lost after holding match point in marathon US Open clash
- Van de Zandschulp won in five sets, will play Zverev next
- Gea still earns $480,000 despite historic near-miss
Explained simply
Grand Slam tournaments, including the US Open, have a main draw of players who qualify directly through their rankings, plus players who win places in qualifying rounds. A “lucky loser” is someone who loses in qualifying but gets into the main draw when another player withdraws.
A place in the quarter-finals means reaching the last eight players in the tournament. Gea’s route there began with a late place in the draw after Casper Ruud withdrew, and he then won three main-draw matches to reach the fourth round.
The US Open is one of tennis’s four annual Grand Slam tournaments, and a deep run can bring players ranking points, prize money and wider recognition. Gea’s run was notable because no lucky loser had previously reached a Grand Slam quarter-final.
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