New York – In a dramatic showdown at Arthur Ashe Stadium, top‑seed Alexander Zverev proved his resilience by edging out Frenchman Quentin Halys 6‑4, 4‑6, 7‑6(3), 6‑7(3), 6‑3. The five‑set battle, which stretched to 4 hours and 33 minutes and concluded at 2:15 a.m. local time, secured Zverev a place in the US Open third round.

Zverev, competing as the tournament’s number one seed for the first time in his career, admitted the match was “quite shit” but emphasized the importance of winning. “That’s what I train for – to come out on top in these difficult moments,” he said on court. The German, a 2020 US Open finalist, highlighted his commitment to improving his game, noting, “I hope at some point I’ll start playing better, but for now I’m happy to be in the third round.”

Match highlights

Zverev claimed the opening set with a single break, but Halys responded forcefully in the second, leveling the match and energizing the crowd. The third set saw Zverev lose an early break and fall behind 4‑1, but he rallied to force a tiebreak and ultimately take the set. Halys fought back in the fourth, forcing another tiebreak and pushing the contest to a decisive fifth set.

In the final set, Zverev built a 4‑2 lead with a powerful overhead smash, then raised his level to force a match‑point error from Halys, sealing a hard‑won victory. The win sets up a third‑round clash with 25th‑seed Alejandro Tabilo.

What’s next for Zverev

Having survived a grueling first‑round test, Zverev remains focused on his ultimate goal: a maiden Grand Slam title in New York. “I’m crawling towards that. I’m still in it and hopefully I can give you another great show,” he added, underscoring his determination to contend for the championship.

Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.