2 Responses to uo26vdzs_gea

1. Voo de Mar says:

   September 15, 2026 at 5:50 pm

   Points won by each set: | 28-34, 36-42, 55-52, 39-38, 43-42 |
   Unreturned serves:
   28 % VdZS – 56 of 199
   20 % Gea – 44 of 213

   Grandstand, an evening contest of a player with the longest surname inside the Top 100 and a player with the shortest surname inside it. It’s a special match due to several reasons, first and foremost never before in the Open Era, a lucky loser was so close to advance to the Slam quarterfinals. 21-year-old Gea [87], who was quite recently associated with the Challenger level, could have won this match in three and four sets, but given his style of play and his more experienced opponent, who was dictating the pace, it could have been also 2:0 in sets for the Dutchman [70]. Here’s a progress of each set:

   1st set: VdZS has a double break point in the opening game, but misses Gea’s second serve, at *2:3 (30-all) he commits two FH errors in successive points from positions he could have hit winners; Gea gets the vast majority of points thanks to errors of his opponent
   2nd set: VdZS leads 4:1*, at 5:4 (30/0) he misses not by much his FH that could have given him a triple set point, he also leads 6:5* (30/15) yet loses the tie-break 0/7
   3rd set: VdZS trails *0:1 (30/40) when hits the ball outside the stadium, perhaps it allows him to release the excessive tension, the floodlights are activated, he commits less simple errors, but wastes a few break points at 3:1, and finds himself at 0:3* in another tie-break which means 10 points lost in a row in the tie-breaks! From 1:4 to 4-all he wins three points in a row with winners at the net. Match point for Gea at *6:5 – he attacks the net, but his FH-volley is too tentative and VdZS punishes it with a strong FH passing-shot, and wins 9/7 after Gea’s volley error – the young Frenchman is angry the only time in the entire match then
   4th set: Gea is serving at 5:4 (30/15) when VdZS strikes a FH winner, third consecutive tie-break, the Dutchman takes it 7/3
   5th set: Gea takes a toilet break, comes back to the court mentally devastated, 3 double faults within 5 points, a bagel set could be expected, but Gea bounces back in the 2nd game of the decider with a new tactic – he hits his forehands faster and serves more aggressively, but loses two very important games in the mid-section of the set – first he squanders a break point at 3:2, then two game points at 3-all (five deuces – the longest game of the match). At 4:5 Gea has a break point but hits the net-cord with his forehand return, also the net-cord keeps the ball his side to finish a rally on the first match point for the Dutchman

   5 hours 13 minutes (3-3-6-6 minute-breaks between sets instead of 2-2-2-2)… the fourth longest match in the US Open history, but a new record in terms of total points played since the tie-break introduction in 1970. They played 412 points in total, Evans and Khachanov who had fought for twenty-two minutes longer, contested 392 points (201-191). It’s really remarkable that VdZS survived a very tight 5-set encounter also in the preceding round as he ousted Bergs 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 after 4 hours 36 minutes, being two points away from a 4-set defeat. After two so incredibly demanding matches, he was deflated in the quarterfinal vs the eventual champion Zverev, but had a set point in the 2nd set. VdZS is the third Open Era player to reach two major quarterfinals not having won a main-level title. It won’t be east to get the maiden one because he’s already 30 years-old.

   Serve & volley: VdZS 1/2, Gea 0

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2. Voo de Mar says:

   September 15, 2026 at 5:51 pm

   ☆ 13 “lucky losers” to lose 4Rs at Slams:

   Wimbledon ’73: Mukerjea… Kodeš 4-6, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6
   Wimbledon ’73: Mitton… Connors 3-6, 3-6, 2-6
   French Open ’76: Mignot… Ramírez 2-6, 1-6, 1-6
   French Open ’77: Gehring… Fibak 7-6, 4-6, 2-6, 6-3, 3-6
   French Open ’78: Birner… Barazzutti 1-6, 4-6, 1-6
   Wimbledon ’83: McCurdy… Mayotte 0-6, 2-6, 4-6
   Wimbledon ’95: D.Norman… Becker 6-7, 3-6, 4-6
   French Open ’12: Goffin… Federer 7-5, 5-7, 2-6, 4-6
   Aussie Open ’14: Robert… Murray 1-6, 2-6, 7-6, 2-6
   US Open ’22: Moutet… Ruud 1-6, 2-6, 7-6, 2-6
   Wimbledon ’24: Mpetschi… Musetti 6-4, 3-6, 3-6, 2-6
   French Open ’26: De Jong… Zverev 6-7, 4-6, 1-6
   US Open ’26: Géa… VdZS 6-3, 7-6, 6-7, 6-7, 4-6

   ☆☆ Two-time major quarter-finalists without an ATP title:

   Champion (French Open ’90 and Wimbledon ’91)
   Popp (Wimbledon ’00 and ’03)
   Van de Zandschulp (US Open ’21 and ’26)

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