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Alexander Zverev survived another gruelling 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 on Friday.
The German top seed spent four hours and 33 minutes on court, finishing the contest at 2:15 a.m. local time on a humid night at Flushing Meadows, according to ATPs official website. It was Zverev's second consecutive five-set victory at this year's tournament after he opened his campaign with a 4-hour, 53-minute win over Lorenzo Sonego. Despite advancing, the world No. 2 admitted he was far from his best. The performance was quite s***, to be honest, said a candid Zverev in his on-court interview. But I won, and thats the most important thing. Ive been here for another four and a half hours. 2:15 a.m again." Zverev struggled for his usual accuracy from the baseline and made several forehand errors at crucial moments. However, his serve proved decisive when the pressure mounted, particularly in the third-set tie-break. Halys appeared to have control of the third set after opening up a 4-1 lead and earning a break point for a potential 5-1 advantage. Zverev fought back strongly, taking the set 7-6(3) after a 75-minute battle. The German finished with 29 aces and created 20 break-point opportunities, converting five of them. As the match progressed, Zverev looked increasingly comfortable physically and eventually pulled away in the deciding set to seal the victory. "Thats what I go to the gym for," said Zverev, who took off his shirt immediately after clinching match point. "Thats what I go to the track for and train for to be able to come out on top of these difficult moments when youre not playing best, when youre not hitting winners left and right, just getting through these kinds of matches. Zverev, who won Roland Garros earlier this year, is bidding for his second Grand Slam title and first US Open crown. He was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows in 2020, when he surrendered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the final. The 29-year-old is also competing as the top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time. Zverev will next face 25th seed Alejandro Tabilo in the third round. The German defeated the Chilean in the opening round of last year's US Open and leads their ATP Head-to-Head series 2-0. (ANI)
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