New York (AFP) - Zheng Qinwen pulled off another US Open stunner Monday, rallying to beat Iga Swiatek and reach the quarter-finals as Alexander Blockx made history for Belgium.

It was one more gritty win for Zheng, the Paris Olympics gold medallist and a former world number four now ranked 121st in the wake of elbow surgery last year.

Zheng had won the last seven games to stun Madison Keys in her previous match.

After falling behind 5-0 in the first set against Swiatek she again reeled off seven straight.

She broke the six–time Grand Slam champion twice in the second set to clinch the win.

Swiatek, who fell to Zheng in the gold medal match in Paris two years ago, left the Arthur Ashe Stadium in tears.

“I guess to come back from 0-5 (Saturday) is not lucky, that’s all I can say,” Zheng said after becoming the first qualifier or lucky loser to beat Swiatek at a Grand Slam.

Zheng said it took her some time to settle in on the cavernous Ashe Stadium court, noting it’s been “a long, long time” since she’d been scheduled on a main show court.

“I just focus on point by point,” Zheng said, adding that she was so focused on the rallies that she lost track of the score at one point.

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

She’ll next face world number two Elena Rybakina, the reigning Australian Open champion who cruised past Naomi Osaka 6-1, 6-4 in just 66 minutes.

Rybakina is not only chasing a third Grand Slam title, if she beats Zheng to reach the semi-finals she will seize the number one ranking from Aryna Sabalenka – even if the Belarusian wins a third straight title.

The 21-year-old Blockx’s dream US Open debut continued with a gritty 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 victory over Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.

Blockx, who started the year ranked outside the top 100, had upset fifth-ranked Flavio Cobolli in the third round and now is the first Belgian man to reach the last eight at Flushing Meadows.

- Goosebumps -

Fifth-seeded French Open champion Mirra Andreeva advanced with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Anastasia Potapova in an entertaining match marred by an injury to Potapova in the final game.

Potapova was serving to stay in the match when she lost her footing leaning for a ball and fell to the ground in pain.

Andreeva rushed to help her and after receiving treatment on her knee Potapova limped to the finish line.

“Seeing what a battle we had and seeing in the last game her fall like this, it’s not easy,” Andreeva said. “I can imagine what she’s going through and I have goosebumps on my body.”

Men’s top seed Alexander Zverev was once again slated to close the action on Ashe, taking on 21st-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi.

The French Open champion has become a late-night fixture, playing into the small hours not only in two five-set marathons but also in his three-set third round win over Alejandro Tabilo.

The German is vying to make the US Open quarter-finals for a fifth time while Darderi will make the last eight of a Grand Slam for the first time if he can pull off the biggest win of his career.

Up first under the lights, fourth-seeded former champion Coco Gauff took on 18-year-old fellow American Iva Jovic.

France’s Arthur Gea was vying for a slice of Grand Slam history against Botic van de Zandschulp. He could become the first men’s lucky loser ever to reach the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam.