Alexander Zverev Survives Five-Hour Marathon Thriller to Advance at US Open

Alexander Zverev fought back from the brink of defeat to avoid becoming the first men’s No. 1 seed to exit a Grand Slam in the opening round since 2003, securing a hard-fought 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4 victory over Lorenzo Sonego. The grueling clash at the US Open stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Throughout the night, Zverev struggled to capitalize on multiple break-point opportunities against Sonego’s serve, putting him at risk of becoming the first top-seeded man to lose in the first round of a major since Ivo Karlovic defeated Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2003.

A first-round exit for a top seed had not occurred at the US Open since Stefan Edberg’s loss to Alexander Volkov in 1990. Ultimately, Zverev managed to break through Sonego’s serve late in the contest, clinching the match after a marathon four hours and 52 minutes on court.

“Nearly five hours for a first round—I believe this is the longest first-round match I have ever played in my life,” Zverev remarked post-match. “Credit to him; he played amazing tennis today and would have beaten many players. I’m just happy to be through.”

Zverev, who captured his first Grand Slam title at the French Open and recently faced top-ranked Jannik Sinner in the Wimbledon final, found himself elevated to the No. 1 seed at a major for the first time. This opportunity arose after Sinner was forced to withdraw from the US Open due to a right knee injury.

Despite holding a perfect 7-0 head-to-head record against Sonego, Zverev faced his toughest challenge yet. The Italian, who entered the tournament with a 1-9 record against top-10 opponents in Grand Slams, utilized his exceptional court speed to retrieve difficult shots and deliver clutch serving, limiting Zverev to just five successful breaks out of 22 break-point opportunities.

Zverev broke Sonego’s serve when the Italian was serving for the third set at 5-4, and looked poised to take control in the tiebreaker. He surged to a 7-6 lead with consecutive serves measuring 133 mph and 141 mph. However, Sonego fought back to win the next two points, and a double-fault from Zverev ultimately handed the set to the Italian.

In the fourth set, Zverev broke to claim a 3-2 advantage, but Sonego immediately responded, racing across the court to break back. Sonego then came within two points of victory while leading 5-4, yet Zverev showed resilience by holding his serve and executing a crucial break to move ahead 6-5.

Prior to the final set, Sonego received medical attention for his hand or wrist. Although he appeared to be in decent physical condition, Zverev seized the opportunity to secure an early break, taking a 3-2 lead and maintaining his advantage to the finish.

Zverev will face Quentin Halys in the second round. Despite the grueling opener, the 2020 US Open runner-up expressed satisfaction with the tough test, viewing it as a valuable challenge.

“Actually, I am happy that I won this kind of battle because this is exactly the match I needed,” Zverev shared. “I struggled over the last two tournaments and didn’t play well. Sometimes, good things happen after fighting through a match like this, and I am hoping that will be the case for me at this tournament.”

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