Zverev goes the distance again to reach US Open third round

Alexander Zverev, the top seed, advanced to the third round of the US Open after a marathon match on Friday. The German player was put through a grueling test in a five-set first round, playing into the early hours of Wednesday. Once again, Zverev had to endure a lengthy battle, this time against France's Quentin Halys, to secure his place in the next round. The 29-year-old's showdown with Halys lasted a total of 4 hours and 33 minutes, concluding just after 2:15am local time.

Zverev took control of the first set, breaking Halys to lead 5-4. However, Halys fought back, regaining the lead and forcing a tiebreak. Zverev held his composure, winning the tiebreak 7-3 to lead 2-0. In the second set, Halys broke Zverev once, but the German player held to maintain his 5-4 advantage. Halys had another opportunity to take the set, but Zverev's service game faltered, and the Frenchman capitalized, leveling the score at 1-1.

Zverev's third-set performance was remarkable as he fought back from a 4-1 deficit to level the set at 4-4. Halys held his ground, taking a 5-4 lead, and the rest of the set went on serve until the tiebreak, where Zverev gained the upper hand, leading 5-1. In the fourth set, Halys dominated Zverev, leading 5-3, and sent the match into a decider.

In the fifth and final set, tension was high as Halys made an early mistake, allowing Zverev to break and take a 5-3 lead. Zverev then broke Halys again, securing his second-round victory with a score of 6-3. Zverev will face Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the next round.