TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Top seed Alexander Zverev again had to go through a five-set match to advance to the third round of the 2026 US Open when he faced French tennis player Quentin Halys which ended with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3 in New York, United States, on Thursday.
Zverev needed 4 hours and 33 minutes to defeat Halys in a match that ended at 2:15 a.m. local time, his second straight five-set victory after battling for 4 hours and 53 minutes to defeat Lorenzo Sonego in the first round. "I’ve been here for another four and a half hours. 2:15 a.m again," he said, according to ATP, as quoted by ANTARA.
The 29-year-old admitted his performance was not at its best, but he considered winning the match the most important thing. "The performance was quite s***, to be honest. But, I won, and that’s the most important thing," said Zverev.
In the match, which took place in humid conditions, Zverev was in a difficult position in the third set when Halys led 4-1 and had a break opportunity to increase the lead to 5-1. However, he was able to bounce back and win the third set, which lasted 75 minutes, in a 7-3 tiebreaker.
The German relied on his powerful serve on crucial points. He served 29 aces and created 20 break opportunities, converting five of them into points. Entering the fifth set, Zverev appeared to be in better shape than his opponent. He finally secured the win, earning a spot in the third round.
"That’s what I go to the gym for. That’s what I go to the track for and train for — to be able to come out on top of these difficult moments when you’re not playing best," Zverev said.
Zverev was previously a finalist at the 2020 US Open. At that time, he had a two-set lead over Dominic Thiem before ultimately losing in five sets. At this year's US Open, he is the top seed for the first time in a Grand Slam tournament and is aiming for his second major title and his first at Flushing Meadows.
In the third round, Zverev will face 25th-seeded Chilean Alejandro Tabilo. The two have previously met at the US Open, with Zverev defeating Tabilo in the first round last year. The victory gave Zverev a 2-0 lead in their head-to-head record.
Read: US Open Ball Kids Salary: How Much Do They Earn?
Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News
