Alexander Zverev arrived at the U.S. Open as the No. 1 seed at a Grand Slam for the first time, carrying with him the confidence of finally becoming a major champion.
He nearly left the tournament before that confidence could make a difference.
The French Open champion survived a marathon first-round scare Wednesday, rallying past Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in a grueling match that lasted 4 hours, 52 minutes and ended in the early morning.
Zverev was pushed to the brink before finding a way through, avoiding what would have been one of the biggest first-round upsets in U.S. Open history.
Two nights after No. 4 seed Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, was eliminated in five sets, Zverev came dangerously close to becoming the latest top player to make an early exit from an event already missing top-ranked Jannik Sinner because of a right knee injury.
Sinner’s absence elevated the No. 2-ranked Zverev to the top seed, placing added pressure on the German as he began his campaign with expectations higher than ever.
A loss to Sonego would have made Zverev the first No. 1 seed in the men’s singles draw to lose in the opening round of a Grand Slam since Lleyton Hewitt was beaten by Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon in 2003.
Instead, Zverev dug deep when he needed it most, extending his run and keeping alive his bid for a second Grand Slam title.
“I’m happy that I won this kind of battle,” Zverev said. “This is exactly the match that I needed.”
Coco Gauff had an easier time, opening her quest for a second U.S. Open title by beating Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4, regaining control midway through the second set after her opponent from Türkiye picked up her play.
“I know that I can raise my level if I need to, and I like to challenge my opponent to let them keep up the level the whole match,” Gauff said. “And if they do, I clap my hands and I walk off court with my head held high.”
Instead, she’s walking into a second-round match against either Paula Badosa or Daria Kasatkina.
On a rainy day in New York, nothing could dampen the spirits inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
First, Gael Monfils won on his 40th birthday to extend his Grand Slam career, with fans singing “Happy Birthday” to the Frenchman afterward. He was followed by No. 17 seed Alex Eala, who beat Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in front of many of her Filipino fans.
Gauff was battling serving woes when she arrived in Flushing Meadows last year and began working with a new coach on the eve of the tournament. There wasn’t time to fix her problems, and Gauff had to battle through a rocky opener before being easily ousted by Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.
Gauff returned this year with the confidence and momentum of a serious contender, winning the title in Cincinnati after semifinal runs at Wimbledon and Toronto.
She also won the hard-court tournament in Cincinnati in 2023 before going on to become the first American teenager to win the U.S. Open title since Serena Williams in 1999, beating Aryna Sabalenka in the final.
Flavio Cobolli rallied from two sets down to avoid an early upset on the men’s side, and his wasn’t even the most dramatic comeback Tuesday.
Maria Sakkari fell behind 6-2, 4-0 once she was finally able to get on the court after the rain stopped, then the No. 32 seed rallied to edge Robin Montgomery 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
“Just kept telling myself that everything is possible and just try to get myself in a good place mentally and just try to be a little bit more positive, try to make more balls, get myself into the match,” said Sakkari, who reached the U.S. Open and Wimbledon semifinals in 2021. “Because, I mean, everyone’s very good in tennis nowadays, but specifically that girl I played today doesn’t have the experience that I do. So I just told myself, let’s try and hang in there, try and make more balls, and it worked.”
Cobolli, the No. 5 seed and French Open runner-up, beat Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that lasted 4 hours, 12 minutes. He finished not long after some sun broke through the clouds and allowed play to start on all the outside courts.
Cobolli made his first career two-set comeback to avoid joining No. 4 seed Novak Djokovic and No. 10 seed Arthur Fils among early losers in a men’s draw that was already missing top-ranked Jannik Sinner, Cobolli’s fellow Italian who was unable to play in the tournament because of a right knee injury.
He said he took a bathroom break after the second set and decided to change everything he was wearing.
“In Grand Slams it’s never done. You have to fight until the last point,” Cobolli said.
French Open champion Mirra Andreeva and 2024 U.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz had smooth sailing. Fritz, the No. 9 seed, rolled to a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 victory over 18-year-old fellow American Darwin Blanch. Andreeva beat Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2.
Showers that began Monday night and were expected to continue on and off through the middle of the week delayed play on all the outer courts, allowing action only in Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, which have retractable roofs.
Rain returned Tuesday night, again restricting play to two courts and meaning some first-round matches wouldn’t be completed before Wednesday.
Madison Keys, the No. 22 seed, beat 19-year-old Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-4 in the opening match in Ashe. The 2017 U.S. Open runner-up was knocked out in the first round last year in Flushing Meadows.
“It’s always tough playing someone young and up and coming, and they’re going after their shots,” Keys said. “And it’s so hard to play a first round of a Grand Slam, so nervous and just wanting to do so well. So, really happy I was able to kind of fight through that and win today.”
Play finally began outdoors in the middle of the afternoon, when No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina beat Thea Frodin 6-3, 6-2. Frodin, a 17-year-old from California, was the body double for actor Demi Singleton, who played Serena Williams, in the 2021 film “King Richard.”
No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic, who teamed with Cobolli to reach the mixed doubles final, lost to Yulia Putintseva in three sets.
DAILYSABAH
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