US Open: Philipp Kohlschreiber surprisingly wins against Alexander Zverev

Philipp Kohlschreiber has reached the last sixteen at the US Open 2018 after a great performance: Germany’s longtime number one defeated the current best German player, Alexander Zverev, in four sets.

Philipp Kohlschreiber has won the German duel with Alexander Zverev at the US Open and thus inflicted the next bitter Grand Slam defeat on the young star. In the third round, the 34-year-old from Augsburg beat his 13-year-old rival after 3:09 hours deservedly with 6:7 (1:7), 6:4, 6:1, 6:3 and entered the round of 16 for the fifth time in New York.

There Kohlschreiber will face former finalist Kei Nishikori (Japan/No. 21) or Argentinian Diego Schwartzman in position 13 on Monday. So far Kohlschreiber, who is ranked 34th in the world ranking, was eliminated in Flushing Meadows in all five attempts in the last 16 rounds.

Hamburg-born Zverev was in the third round for the first time and was considered the clear favourite. The number four in the ranking had clearly won the last two matches with Kohlschreiber in 2017 in Halle/Westphalia and in May in Munich. In the second Grand Slam duel after the first-round match in New York in 2015, however, he lost for the second time.

This means that the quarter-finals at this year’s French Open remain Zverev’s best Grand Slam result. Kohlschreiber has the chance for the second time in his career after Wimbledon 2012 to enter the round of the best eight with a major.

Kohlschreiber convinced with variable play, steruet always undercut balls and was also much more efficient than Zverev in the exploitation of his break chances. He, in turn, could hardly achieve any free points with his serve – and could not use a 3-0 lead in the third set to win either.

Here is the single tableau at the US Open