Top-seeded Alexander Zverev secured his place in the third round of the U.S. Open after surviving a challenging five-set match against France's Quentin Halys, which concluded early Friday morning. The German player won the marathon encounter 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
This victory followed another demanding five-set match for Zverev in the opening round against Lorenzo Sonego. Against Halys, the French Open champion found himself under pressure throughout the contest, requiring significant resilience to advance.
"The performance was quite s–t to be honest, but I won, that’s the most important thing," Zverev stated in an on-court interview. "Another four-and-a-half hours, 2:15 am, that’s what I go to the gym for." He also acknowledged the small contingent of fans who remained to watch the match's conclusion.
Zverev captured the first set with a single break of serve, but the world number 52, Halys, responded strongly in the second set to level the match. In the third set, Zverev appeared to be in trouble after losing an early break and falling behind 4-1, but he managed to come back and force a tiebreak, which he won.
After dropping the fourth set, Zverev composed himself in the decider. He built a 4-2 lead in the final set, eventually securing the win when Halys made an error on match point. Zverev's next opponent in the third round will be the 25th seed, Alejandro Tabilo.
