By Shrivathsa Sridhar
NEW YORK, Sept 2 (Reuters) – Peruvian Ignacio Buse added a new chapter to his family’s U.S. Open story on Wednesday as he came through a five-setter to earn a maiden victory and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, who last won a match at the tournament in 1958.
The 32nd seed beat American Marcos Giron 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-7(6) 6-1 after three hours and 48 minutes on Court Six, finishing off the match with a backhand volley to spark loud cheers from his team and fans in the stands.
“It’s difficult to find the calm in those situations, but in the fifth set, I just tried to recover mentally,” Ignacio said.
“It’s a mental battle out there. I just stayed calm. It’s a very special moment.”
Though the 22-year-old Ignacio never met his grandfather Eduardo, his victory revived a family link to the Grand Slam stretching back nearly seven decades.
Eduardo, whose tennis exploits alongside his twin brother Enrique are commemorated at Lima’s Estadio Hermanos Buse, played at the major as early as 1942.
He won his last U.S. Open match 16 years later when he beat American Edward Atkinson in five sets in the opening round.
The tournament, then known as the U.S. Championships, was held on the outdoor grass courts of the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, New York. The U.S. Open became a hard court tournament in 1978.
Ignacio, who arrived in New York full of belief after winning the Winston-Salem Open last week, can add to his tally when he takes on Benjamin Bonzi in the second round.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar; Additional reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in New York; Editing by Tom Hogue)
