Tennis-Buse follows grandfather's footsteps with victory at US Open

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.