Botic van de Zandschulp produced an impressive comeback to secure the first Top 5 win of his career and extend Casper Ruud’s disappointing start to the season at the Miami Open. The Dutchman rallied from the brink of a double break in the final set to claim a hard-fought victory over the World No. 4, who had 15 break point opportunities but only converted two of them.
Despite a scrappy match with both players making more than 30 unforced errors, van de Zandschulp maintained his focus and capitalized on his opportunities when they presented themselves. The 26th seed will now look to build on this performance as he progresses further in the tournament.
Van de Zandschulp credited his mental toughness and belief for his impressive victory, stating that he never gave up despite the tough situation he found himself in during the third set. He broke back for 3-2 and held his serve to level the set before taking advantage of a single opportunity at 5-4 to secure the win.
In contrast, Ruud will be left to rue missed chances and a lack of consistency throughout the match. The Norwegian will need to regroup and find his form if he hopes to make a deep run in any future tournaments this year.
