After powering to a 6-3 opening set win, Gerard took number two-seed Houdet to a tiebreak in the second, only for the veteran to snatch it 7-5 to set up a decider.

The man from Belgium was not done there, however, as he broke Houdet late in the third to set up another shot at claiming a shock win.

However, Houdet, who is chasing a seventh Grand Slam title, rattled off four straight games to eventually take the decider 7-5.

The 43-year-old will now play Argentina's Gustavo Fernandez, who pulled off a surprise win over world number three Gordon Reid of Great Britain 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

It was a different story for another Frenchman, as Michael Jeremiasz had no answer to the power and precision of Japanese world number one Shingo Kunieda, who rattled 23 winners past Jeremiasz en route to a 6-1, 6-1 victory.

Paralympic champion Kunieda will now face another Gallic opponent after Nicholas Peifer overcame Dutchman Maikel Scheffers in another match that went to a deciding set.

Peifer eventually emerged with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 win.

Japan's Yui Kamiji powered through at the US Open as she continues to impress on the international stage in New York City ©Getty Images



In the women's singles competition, Japan's 20-year-old Yui Kamiji continued to show why she is being tipped by many for years of domination as she despatched Dutch veteran Sharon Walkraven 6-1, 6-3.

World number one Kamiji, the youngest ever top seed in wheelchair tennis history, will face another player from The Netherlands in the form of Jiske Griggioen, who had a surprisingly comfortable 6-1, 6-1 win over world number three Sabine Ellerbrock of Germany.

Griggioen's compatriot and defending champion Aniek Van Koot advanced to the semi-finals with a 6-2, 6-0 victory over South Africa's Kgothatso Montjane.

Demonstrating the traditional strength of The Netherlands in the women's game, Van Koot will now take on compatriot Marjolein Buis after she beat Britain's Jordanne Whiley 6-1, 6-4.

In the quads competition, the opening round-robin match was a re-run of the 2013 final and again South Africa's defending champion Lucas Sithole was the victor, with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over US world number one David Wagner.

In the other match, Britain's Andy Lapthorne ensured it was a disappointing day for the US in New York as he recorded a straight sets win over Nick Taylor on a scoreline of 6-4, 6-3.

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