Comeback kid comes from 0-5 down again in US Open

Chinese qualifier Zheng Qinwen has produced another spectacular fightback to upset six-times major winner ‌Iga Swiatek 7-5 6-3 in the US Open, recovering from 0-5 ‌down in the opening set to reach the quarter-finals. Swiatek, who had never lost to a qualifier at a major before, won three of the last 16 games. The Olympic champion battled her ‌way through qualifiers amid a post-injury career slump and has recaptured her top form in New York, getting the best of an opponent who had led 7-1 in their head-to-head. "I start the ‌match not ‌so well ⁠and after little by little I found my rhythm," ​said Zheng, whose chronic right elbow injury stunted her career and forced her to undergo surgery last year. "I just focused point by point and little by little I started to play better tennis." She next plays either Naomi Osaka ⁠or Elena Rybakina who play later Monday (Tuesday AEST). Zheng appears to do ‌her ​best work with her back against the wall, recovering from 5-0 in ‌the deciding set of her third round match with Madison Keys this week, and she ​found the magic again at Arthur Ashe Stadium, saving three set points to the increasing frustration of the 2022 champion Swiatek. Swiatek ​took ​a medical timeout after the ​third game of the second set, having ‌a physio come and massage her left thigh, but did not appear to struggle as she returned to the court. Zheng broke her opponent with a backhand winner down the line in the seventh game and broke again ​on the fourth match point, leaving Swiatek in tears again two ​years after she ⁠lost the same match-up in the Olympic semi-finals. Fifth seed Mirra Andreeva also fought back to progress, albeit less dramatically. She beat Anastasia Potapova 5-7 6-4 6-3 to ‌extend her deepest run at the US Open. The 19-year-old was 5-3 up in the third when Potapova went down with a leg injury late in ‌the match, putting a disappointing end to an otherwise competitive affair. "She's my good friend and seeing what a battle we had... seeing her fall like this, it's not easy," said Andreeva. "It's not the way obviously you want to finish the match... I just told ‌her she's ‌been playing amazing ⁠so far." The Roland Garros winner will next play the ​winner of an all-American clash between Iva Jovic and Coco Gauff. In a tightly fought opening set Andreeva made too many errors, including two ‌double ​faults in the final game. But the Russian cut down the mistakes in the second ​set, thriving ‌in the shorter rallies before Potapova handed over the decisive break with a double ​fault of her own. Andreeva was on top in the final set when Potapova collapsed onto the court clutching ​her ​left knee in pain after chasing ​a ball along the baseline in the ‌ninth game. She continued after treatment but was in no state to turn around the match. Australian Associated Press