New York (AFP) - Zheng Qinwen rallied from 0-5 down in the final set to stun Madison Keys and reach the US Open last 16 in just one of Saturday’s surprises at Flushing Meadows.

Fourth-seeded American Coco Gauff battled through in straight sets, but fifth-seeded French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli fell to 21-year-old Alexander Blockx as ninth-seeded Taylor Fritz and 2025 finalist Amanda Anisimova also followed fellow American Keys out the door.

Zheng saved a match point in her 1-6, 7-6 (⁷⁄₃), 7-5 triumph over Keys, the 2025 Australian Open champion and a US Open finalist back in 2017.

After coming through the second-set tiebreaker, Zheng appeared to be out of steam in the final set.

The former world number four had to come through qualifying after a lengthy recovery from elbow surgery saw her ranking plummet.

Keys raced to a 5-0 lead in the third but Zheng had a last stand in her. She saved match point at 5-1 and just kept rolling, Keys’s increasing frustration showing as she banged her head with her racquet after one lost point.

“I just told myself keep holding every single point, never give up, stay there. And somehow little by little it just happened,” Zheng said.

Zheng, currently ranked 121st in the world, will face six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek for a place in the quarter-finals.

Swiatek dominated both tiebreakers in her tight 7-6 (⁷⁄₃), 7-6 (⁷⁄₃) win over Czech Maria Bouzkova.

Zheng is the first qualifier to reach the US Open women’s singles fourth round since Emma Raducanu – who went on to win the title in 2021.

Belgian 21-year-old Blockx shocked Cobolli 6-7 (⁴⁄₇), 6-3, 6-0, 6-3, winning 11 straight games from 3-2 down in the second set as he reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time.

“I think this was one of my craziest experiences so far in my career,” Blockx said after firing 17 aces past Cobolli.

“After the first set I told myself to stay calm. I wasn’t playing bad. I know deep inside I am a fighter and I will fight until the last ball and it paid off today.”

Blockx next faces Francisco Cerundolo, who rallied from two sets down to upset ninth-seeded Fritz 3-6, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Down 4-3 on serve in the final set, the 24th seed from Argentina fought back from 0-40 down to hold, coming up with a trio of booming serves and a thundering forehand before taking the game with another service winner.

He then broke Fritz and cruised home.

Austrian Anastasia Potapova further dented US hopes with her 6-2, 7-5 victory over Anisimova.

Potapova reached the US Open fourth round for the first time, and will face fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva, who beat Nikola Bartunkova 6-2, 7-6 (⁷⁄₅).

- Zverev under the lights -

Former champion Gauff shook off a slow start to beat Spain’s 6-3, 6-4, relying on her defensive skills as she climbed out of a 3-1 hole in the opening set.

“She’s a tricky player, so it’s tough to get rhythm,” Gauff said. “Happy with how I fought through even when I wasn’t playing my best.”

Men’s top seed Alexander Zverev was again due to close out the night session, taking on Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.

In two five-set matches, both spilling into the early hours of the morning, the German has already spent nine hours and 26 minutes on court.

Zverev says he feels fine physically, but he knows he will have to play better if he wants to add a second Grand Slam title to the French Open trophy he captured this year.