A duo of Dutch players delivered the most notable surprises during the first week of the BNP Paribas Open.
Tallon Griekspoor achieved a notable upset against top seed Alexander Zverev in a thrilling match on Friday, securing a hard-fought victory with scores of 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4) on his sixth match point. Additionally, lucky loser Botic van de Zandschulp delivered an impressive performance against five-time Indian Wells champion Novak Djokovic, winning the match 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 on Saturday.
“Those guys challenge me. I know I have to play my best,” van de Zandschulp said. “I have to play a certain way. Otherwise, they are going to do it. So that’s something I know before I go into the match.”
Van de Zandschulp, a two-time ATP Tour finalist, has demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure. Notably, during last year’s US Open, he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets in the second round.
Photo/BoticvandeZandschulp/X
