Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny has recorded the biggest win of his career, upsetting 14th seed Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 to reach the third round of the US Open for the first time.
The 25-year-old, ranked more than 100 places below his world No 14 opponent, took down the dual grand slam semi-finalist on Thursday (Friday AEST) in New York. Standing only 5ft 5in (170cm) tall, Sweeny earned a minimum pay day of $US290,000 ($A402,750) for his breakthrough run.
Sweeny bosses Musetti into submission
Sweeny ran the 14th seed ragged, with Musetti requiring a medical time-out after falling behind a double break at 0-3 in the third set. The Italian, who has made the Wimbledon and French Open semi-finals over the past two years, continued remonstrating animatedly to his courtside box even after clawing one break back.
Despite sporting a massive ice pack on his right elbow after his first-round win, Sweeny continued diving for acrobatic winning volleys at the net. He was 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.
Schoolkate and Popyrin exit
For a couple of heady hours it looked like Sweeny's underdog countrymen Tristan Schoolkate and Alexei Popyrin would join him in round three. But Schoolkate's inspired run from qualifying came to a halt at the hands of fifth-seeded French Open runner-up Flavio Cobilli.
Schoolkate snatched the first set before the Italian prevailed 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 after two hours and 41 minutes in New York's scorching summer heat. Two years after upstaging Novak Djokovic in the US Open's third round, Popyrin lost a tense four-set battle with Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, taking the opening set before the 25th-seeded South American claimed two pivotal tiebreakers and the match 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), 6-2.
Sweeny savours breakthrough
“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.”
Australia's sixth seed Alex de Minaur was scheduled to play Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp on The Grandstand after Schoolkate's match.
