{
  "id": 5211769,
  "title": "‘Pretty special’: N.J.’s Michael Zheng wins 1st main-draw match at U.S. Open",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/pretty-special-n-j-s-michael-zheng-wins-1st-main-draw-match-at-u-s",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T00:53:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/n-j-michael-zheng-wins-223653753.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New York witnessed a special moment on Wednesday as New Jersey's Michael Zheng claimed his first main-draw victory at the U.S. Open. Zheng, a former Columbia University star, battled against Hungary’s Fábián Marozsán in a thrilling three-set match at Court 10. The event was marked by a massive crowd and the enthusiastic support of Zheng's former college teammates, who donned Columbia blue and cheered the player on. Zheng's dominant performance, marked by 33 winners to 17 unforced errors, saw him break serve in the first set and close out the match with a forehand winner to finish with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 score. This triumph marked Zheng's first main-draw win at the Grand Slam and brought him to No. 96 in the Live Rankings. The victory was a remembrance of their previous clash at the Cincinnati Open, where Zheng also emerged victorious. Zheng will face China’s Yunchaokete Bu in the second round, a match scheduled for Court 12 later the same day.",
  "summary": "The former Delbarton star won’t get much rest because rain pushed his first-round match back a day",
  "key_points": [
    "Michael Zheng wins first main-draw match at U.S. Open",
    "Defeats Fábián Marozsán 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 in three sets",
    "Advances to second round against Yunchaokete Bu"
  ],
  "editors_take": "This breakthrough win catapults Michael Zheng into the top 100 in the Live Rankings and sets him up for a second-round showdown with Yunchaokete Bu.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Boulter wins one game in 58-minute US Open defeat",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/02/boulter-wins-one-game-in-58-minute-us-open-defeat",
        "published": "2026-09-02T22:56:24.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "Zverev wins in five sets, Gauff starts her quest for a second US Open title",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/zverev-wins-in-five-sets-gauff-starts-her-quest-for-a-second-us-open",
        "published": "2026-09-03T01:32:58.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}