Sydney-born Hijikata stuns world No. 67 Zhang to reach last 16
Australia’s Rinky Hijikata celebrates his round three victory over China’s Zhizhen Zhang at the US Open-Image Source: Getty Images
Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata has continued his dream run at the US Open, defeating Chinese trailblazer Zhizhen Zhang in four sets to reach the fourth round.
The 22-year-old from Sydney, who is ranked 110th in the world, won 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in a match that lasted three hours and 10 minutes.
Hijikata had to overcome a spirited fightback from Zhang, who was clearly tiring after winning two five-set matches in his previous two rounds.
But Hijikata was too strong in the end, breaking Zhang’s serve twice in the fourth set to seal the victory.
The win is Hijikata’s best at a Grand Slam tournament and sets up a fourth-round clash with American 10th seed Frances Tiafoe.
Hijikata is the first Australian wildcard to reach the fourth round of the US Open since Lleyton Hewitt in 2005.
He is also the first Australian man to reach the last 16 of a Grand Slam tournament since Nick Kyrgios at Wimbledon in 2015.
Already guaranteed a $440,000 dollar cheque, Rinky Hijikata is on a life-changing charge at the US Open. https://t.co/VZ3A1cHvFd #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/bCsxv2XzNn
— 7NEWS Brisbane (@7NewsBrisbane) September 2, 2023
Hijikata’s run at the US Open has been one of the feel-good stories of the tournament.
He has overcome a number of challenges, including the recent death of a close friend and a fatal shooting at his girlfriend’s college.
But Hijikata has shown great resilience and determination, and he is now one of the favorites to reach the quarterfinals.
