Alex de Minaur has blown his best opportunity to claim a maiden grand slam crown after crashing out in the US Open second round in New York. Australia’s world No 7 slumped to a shock straight-sets loss to Botic van de Zandschulp, the Dutchman he had beaten in all four of their previous meetings.
In a demoralising display, De Minaur dropped serve five times and only broke his 70th-ranked opponent once in a 6-4, 7-5, 6-2 defeat on Thursday (Friday AEST). He also racked up 30 unforced errors compared to just 23 winners in the two-hour, 43-minute upset on The Grandstand.
A three-times US Open quarter-finalist, including on his past two visits to Flushing Meadows, de Minaur had been the fourth-highest-ranked player left in the draw following the exits of Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
His Italian nemesis and world No 1 Jannik Sinner, who holds a 13-from-13 record over the Australian, is also missing with a knee injury, while defending champion Carlos Alcaraz is playing his first tournament in four months. But the sixth seed was unable to cash in.
De Minaur was almost disconsolate following his Wimbledon quarter-final loss to Flavio Cobolli in July. He will likely be equally as devastated after suffering his earliest defeat in New York in five years.
De Minaur’s shock departure incredibly leaves unheralded wildcard Dane Sweeny as Australia’s last player standing at the season’s final grand slam event.
Sweeny will play 21st seed Luciano Darderi on Saturday (Sunday AEST) for a most improbable spot in the last 16 after taking out Darderi’s world No 14 compatriot Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 in a second-round boilover earlier on day six.
Standing only 5ft 5in (170cm) tall, Sweeny rose to the occasion to reach the third round of a grand slam for the first time and earn a minimum pay day of $US290,000 ($A402,750).
For a couple of heady hours it looked like his underdog countrymen Tristan Schoolkate and Alexei Popyrin would join Sweeny in round three.
But Schoolkate’s inspired run from qualifying finally came to a halt at the hands of fifth-seeded French Open runner-up Flavio Cobilli. And two years after upstaging Novak Djokovic in the US Open’s third round, Popyrin fell short of a place in the last 32 once again, losing a tense four-set battle with Chilean Alejandro Tabilo.
Ranked more than 100 places below his world No 14 opponent, Sweeny is savouring a mighty breakthrough after bossing Musetti into submission.
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He ran the 14th seed ragged and had the Italian looking in particular distress when he required a medical time-out after falling behind a double break at 0-3 in the all-important third set.
Even after clawing one break back, Musetti – who has made the Wimbledon and French Open semi-finals over the past two years – continued remonstrating animatedly to his courtside box.
Despite sporting a massive ice pack on his right elbow after his first-round win, Sweeny continued diving like Boris Becker for acrobatic winning volleys at the net.
And the 25-year-old was duly rewarded with a last-32 shot at another Italian, world No 22 Luciano Daredri on Saturday (AEST) – and a rankings rise to a career-best No 115 in the world, or better.
“I’m just grateful to be even able to compete in grand slams. The tennis journey is such a rollercoaster,” Sweeny said. “And to soak up the atmosphere and get a win, a couple of wins, in front of this crowd, is awesome.”
