Tennis
China’s Zhang Zhizhen beat fifth seeded Casper Rudd in a controversial match during the second round of US Open 2023
Despite an unexpected defeat by his Chinese counterpart, Casper Rudd praised his dedication and skills
In a record-breaking game, Chinese Tennis superstar Zhang Zhizhen beat world number five Casper Rudd at the US Open. In the second round, Zhizhen won the game 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 0-6, 6-2. With this victory, Zhizhen became the first Chinese tennis player to register a victory against a top-five-seeded player.
Since the beginning of ATP tours and rankings in 1973, this is the first Chinese victory against any of the top five players. The highlight of the game was the dedication and comeback from the Chinese player. However, a controversy took centre stage during the final set of the game. A toilet break from a Chinese player not only delayed the game but also created a heated argument between Norgewian Rudd and the Umpire.
After the end of the fourth set, Zhizhen took a toilet break to change his gear. His break ended up taking more than the allowed time, causing a halt to the match for about seven minutes. The stoppage of play didn’t impress Ruud, the Norwegian tennis player, who was seen arguing with the umpire, Richard Haigh. “You follow the rules so clearly sometimes, and other times you don’t give a s**t,” Ruud told the umpire.
“He was better at a crucial time”, says Casper Rudd
Despite an unexpected defeat by his Chinese counterpart, Casper Rudd praised his dedication and skills. Speaking to the media after losing the game, Rudd said, “I mean, I’m not sitting here super disappointed with things that I could have done better or my level, but at the most important moments, he was the better player.
“He stepped up. That was different from Paris. I think in Paris, I was the one who really stepped up when I had to. It’s a different surface, of course. But he has a great serve and a beautiful backhand and forehand, too. When it’s on, it’s on and really dangerous”, Rudd further praised his competitor. Notably, in the first round of the US Open, Zhizhen had beaten American opponent JJ Wolf by 7-5, 7-5, 6-7, 4-6, 6-3.
