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'Tennis insanity': Fans in disbelief over US Open shocker

Fans go wild at the US Open (pictured left) and Maxime Cressy (pictured right) celebrating after coming from behind to defeat Pablo Carreno Busta.
Maxime Cressy (pictured right) came from two-sets down and saved five-match points to win his first round clash at the US Open. (Images: @Tennispublisher/Eurosport)

The tennis world couldn't believe what they were witnessing after American qualifier Maxime Cressy saved five-match points and trailing two-sets to love to win his first round match.

The 24-year-old American saved four match points in battling back to defeat the Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Pablo Carreno Busta 5-7, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (9/7).

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"The fifth set he would not give me anything," Cressy said. "I just kept telling myself to focus on holding my serve efficiently."

Down 5-2 and 6-3 in the tie-breaker, Cressy went to the net and extended the match with strong volley work.

Carreno Busta, a 2017 and 2020 US Open semi-finalist, was furious after letting the match slip away has he smashed his racquet to the court after sending the final shot wide after three hours and 35 minutes.

Fans were seen clinging to the fence of the small outside court in an attempt to catch the thrilling action.

News of Cressy's unbelievable win quickly echoed around the US Open as fans reacted in shock to the rollercoaster five-set thriller.

Most labelled it the upset of the tournament so far.

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Cressy said he just played each point one at a time when he was facing a straight sets defeat to the Spaniard.

"One point at a time. I just tell myself the same thing at that point in the match and today it came out my way," Cressy said. "I'm really happy things are starting to pay off."

World Number 151 Cressy made his tour-level debut at last year's US Open as a wildcard. He reached his first ATP quarter-final in July at Newport.

A crowd of about 1,500 on an outer court chanted his name and backed him to the finish.

"That lifted me big time. Really helped me out," Cressy said. "It would have been really difficult without them."

Next for Cressy is a second-round match against Georgia's 39th-ranked Nikoloz Basilashvili.

with AAP

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