Botic van de Zandschulp is through to the second round of Wimbledon. The world number 92 resumed his match against Matteo Arnaldi on Tuesday and won in three sets. Jesper de Jong won in a five-setter against Christopher Eubanks.
Van de Zandschulp had already started his match against the Italian Arnaldi (ATP-43) on Monday evening. It was an evenly matched contest in which the Dutchman came out on top twice in the tiebreak. The third set could not be played due to the encroaching darkness.
The players picked up the thread on Tuesday afternoon in a still scorching hot London. Van de Zandschulp didn’t give anything away in his own service games and placed a break at 3-3.
With a 5-4 lead, the Dutchman could serve for the match, but Arnaldi was not easily defeated. Van de Zandschulp missed two match points and had to fend off two breakpoints. At match point number three, thanks to a mistake by Arnaldi, it was finally done.
The victory is a boost for the 29-year-old Van de Zandschulp. He is in the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time this year. In the next round, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ATP-27) is Van de Zandschulp’s opponent.
De Jong wins after super tiebreak
In contrast to Van de Zandschulp, De Jong had to go very deep for a place in the second round. In the decisive tiebreak against the American Eubanks, he made the difference. Partly thanks to a double break, De Jong quickly took a 4-0 lead, which he never relinquished.
It is the 25-year-old De Jong’s debut at Wimbledon and his fourth participation in a Grand Slam tournament. He survived the first round in all his participations. Earlier this year, he also needed five sets at Roland Garros to secure a place in the second round.
De Jong will face Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round, who also needed five sets against American Alex Michelsen. After Tallon Griekspoor’s elimination, De Jong and Van de Zandschulp are the only remaining Dutch players in the men’s tournament.
In the women’s event, Suzan Lamens reached the second round earlier on Tuesday after a convincing victory over American Iva Jovic. Arantxa Rus lost in two sets to American Caroline Dolehide.