Why Alexander Zverev Keeps Being Pushed to Five Sets at the US Open
Alexander Zverev reached the US Open third round only after two straight five-set matches. This article explains how those marathons unfolded and what his record-setting start means as the tournament continues.
A Second Marathon in a Row
Zverev beat Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-3 in a match that lasted more than four and a half hours, according to ESPN. The match ended at 2:15 a.m., the second-latest second-round finish in US Open history. It came only days after he needed five sets to edge Lorenzo Sonego in the first round.
A Record No Top Seed Wants
ESPN reported that Zverev is the first top-seeded man to play back-to-back five-set matches to start a major in the Open era, which dates to 1968. Through two rounds, he had spent more than nine hours on court. He avoided the earliest US Open exit by a No. 1 seed since Andre Agassi in 2000, but only just.
What the Scorelines Show
The Halys match was tight from start to finish. Zverev took the opening set 6-4, lost the second 4-6, won the third in a tiebreak, dropped the fourth in a tiebreak, and closed out the fifth 6-3. The two tiebreak results, 7-6 (3) and 6-7 (3), show how narrow the margins were in the deciding moments. The ATP Tour described the result as Zverev winning his second straight five-setter, while RFI noted that he went the distance again to reach the third round.
Why It Matters
A top seed at a major usually hopes to move through the early rounds with some efficiency. Zverev has instead opened his tournament with two long, physical battles. That matters for the rounds ahead, because the extra hours on court carry a cost. He has also put his name in the record book for something no top seed had done before: playing five sets in each of his first two matches at the same major.
The available reporting does not fully explain why these matches keep going the distance. Opponent quality, tiebreak fortune, and the simple grind of a night match could all be factors, but the match reports do not make a direct diagnosis. What is clear is that Zverev has survived the early rounds, avoided an historic upset, and now moves forward with more mileage than any rival seeded near him.
The Immediate Upshot
Zverev is through to the third round with his title chances still intact. His next match will be a test of recovery as much as skill. The question is no longer whether he can win a five-setter, but whether his body and game can handle another one if the pattern repeats.