Alexander Zverev has reached the third round of the US Open. “I wasn’t extremely happy with my game, but in a match like this you have to somehow find a way to win. There were many things that I could do better,” said Germany’s best tennis professional after his 7: 5, 6 : 7 (8:10), 6: 3, 6: 1 success against the US Grand Slam debutant Brandon Nakashima.
In the duel for a place in the round of 16, the 23-year-old meets the number 32 seeded French Adrian Mannarino on Friday. Against 19-year-old Nakashima, Zverev had to fight for almost three hours before using his second match point.
Zverev hit 24 aces, but also made ten double mistakes – and he suffered from the extremely humid weather. Zverev had to change his shoes, “because suddenly there was a small puddle around me with every step,” as he described it in the digital press conference. “I was sweating so hard that water came out of my shoes. I couldn’t move that well anymore, so I had to change my shoes.”
Punishment now against Djokovic
A few minutes before Zverev, his Davis Cup colleague Jan-Lennard Struff against Michael Mmoh from the USA (6: 2, 6: 2, 7: 5) moved into the third round. There the 30-year-old has to face the world number one Novak Djokovic again. “He’s a great serve, let’s see what to expect,” said Djokovic after his win against Britain’s Kyle Edmund (6: 7 (5: 7), 6: 3, 6: 4, 6: 2) about Struff. Last week, Djokovic had clearly won the quarter-finals at the Masters event, which was moved from Cincinnati to New York.
The women’s field lost its top favorite in the second round. The Czech Karolina Pliskova, number one on the seeding list, lost against the unseeded French Caroline Garcia 1: 6, 6: 7 (2: 7).
This makes Sofia Kenin (USA / No. 2) the highest-rated player in New York. The Australian Open winner will meet the Canadian Leylah Fernandez in the second round on Thursday.
In round three there is also co-favorite Naomi Osaka (No. 4). The former world number one from Japan, who triumphed in New York in 2018, only needed 70 minutes for her 6: 1, 6: 2 against the Italian Camila Giorgi. Osaka’s next opponent is Marta Kostjuk from Ukraine.
Kerber one lap further
Osaka also used their second round match to make a statement against police violence in the USA. This time, the name Elijah McClain was on her black mouth and nose protector, the black US citizen had died last year after a police operation. “I think I should use my range,” said Osaka after the game. Even after her opening win, the 22-year-old said that she had brought seven masks with names of victims of police violence – one for each match up to the final.
Angelique Kerber is also still in the tournament. The former number one in the world and New York winner in 2016 defeated Anna-Lena Friedsam 6: 3, 7: 6 (8: 6) and now meets Ann Li from the USA in the third round.
Kerber had played her last match before the US Open in the last 16 at the Australian Open at the end of January. After that, she had to take a break with a thigh lesion and take a five-month forced break due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Last year, Kerber in New York failed in the first round.
