Dane Sweeny delivered a stunning upset at the US Open, defeating 14th seed Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets to advance to the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career.
The 25-year-old Australian wildcard, standing just 5ft 5in (170cm), overpowered the dual Grand Slam semi-finalist with a commanding 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory on Thursday (Friday AEST), securing the biggest win of his career and a guaranteed prize of $US290,000 ($A402,750).
For a brief moment, it seemed like other Australian underdogs might follow suit. Tristan Schoolkate, who came through qualifying, put up a strong fight against fifth-seeded French Open runner-up Flavio Cobelli, but ultimately fell 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 after a grueling two hours and 41 minutes under the scorching New York sun.
Similarly, Alexei Popyrin, who previously upset Novak Djokovic two years ago, was unable to progress beyond the second round again, losing a tight four-setter to 25th-seeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo with a scoreline of 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. Tabilo now awaits a potential clash with top seed Alexander Zverev.
Despite being over 100 ranking positions below his opponent, Sweeny dominated Musetti throughout their encounter. The Italian appeared visibly distressed, requiring a medical timeout after falling behind a double break early in the decisive third set. Even after regaining one break, Musetti continued to express frustration toward his Box.
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Undeterred by a large ice pack on his right elbow from his previous win, Sweeny continued to attack the net with fearless acrobatics reminiscent of Boris Becker. His aggressive play paid off, earning him a coveted last-32 matchup against world No. 22 Luciano Daredri on Saturday (AEST) and a career-high ranking projection of No. 115 or higher.
"I’m just grateful to be even able to compete in Grand Slams. The tennis journey is such a rollercoaster," Sweeny reflected. "And to soak up the atmosphere and get a win, a couple of wins, in front of this crowd, is awesome."
Meanwhile, Australia’s sixth seed Alex de Minaur was set to face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp on The Grandstand following Schoolkate’s match.
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