Top seed survives four-and-a-half-hour thriller to reach the third round after finishing at 2:15 a.m.
Image: Reuters
Alexander Zverev survived another grueling five-set battle at the US Open, defeating France’s Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3 to reach the third round.
The German, who had already spent nearly five hours on court in his opening-round win over Lorenzo Sonego, needed another four hours and 33 minutes to overcome Halys in a dramatic late-night contest.
Zverev struggled to find his best form but stayed composed during the crucial moments. Halys pushed the top seed hard, particularly in the third and fourth sets, before Zverev finally pulled away in the decider.
The match ended at 2:15 a.m., leaving Zverev with more than nine hours of court time across his opening two matches. “Four-and-a-half hours, 2.15 am, that’s what I go to the gym for,” he joked while thanking the thousands of fans who stayed until the finish.
Zverev, who won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year, will now face Alejandro Tabilo in the third round as he continues his bid for a first US Open crown.
