Zverev Advances to Face Auger-Aliassime in Next Round

NEW YORK: Alexander Zverev delivered a dominant performance to secure his spot in the US Open third round, defeating Britain’s Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 at Louis Armstrong Stadium on Thursday.

The 2020 finalist gained early advantages in the first two sets, demonstrating his strategic prowess from the outset. Despite a brief threat of a comeback from Fearnley, Zverev’s steadfast play ultimately prevailed.

The British player showed promise in the second set, breaking Zverev’s serve and then holding his own with powerful shots. However, serving inconsistencies proved detrimental, as he recorded 12 double faults during the match.

During the decisive set, Zverev, aged 28, quickly established a 5-1 lead. Fearnley, seemingly affected by an arm concern, fought resiliently, defending against five match points across three games. Nevertheless, Zverev’s experience secured his victory.

In a post-match interview on the court, Zverev commended his opponent’s tenacity and recognized the difficulty of the match.

Zverev mentioned in the interview, “Credit to him. His tennis was outstanding. I didn’t do much wrong, but he made some incredible plays. He made things interesting, but I’m glad to advance.”

Having missed the previous year’s US Open due to an ankle injury sustained against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 Roland Garros semifinal, the German player has now reached the third round in New York for the eighth time consecutively since 2018.

Notably, Zverev is scheduled to compete against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday.