US Open: Zverev Battles Through Five Sets While Musetti Cruises in Opening Round

Zverev Survives Sonego Marathon in New York

At the US Open in New York, Alexander Zverev survived a grueling five-set opening round against Lorenzo Sonego on Tuesday. Meanwhile, fellow seed Lorenzo Musetti secured a straight-sets victory over Arthur Féry to advance at Flushing Meadows.

Zverev entered the final Grand Slam tournament of the year as the top seed following a recent triumph at Roland-Garros.

The German contender fell behind two sets to one against an opponent he had previously beaten in past meetings, navigating an early test that stretched deep into the New York afternoon.

Steadying the Baseline Under Pressure

The marathon encounter saw Zverev flirt with an early exit before stabilizing in the fourth and fifth sets. By steadying his baseline game, the world-class competitor managed to secure the final two frames with relative comfort, preserving an unblemished head-to-head record against the 89th-ranked Italian.

With Novak Djokovic already eliminated in the opening rounds of the tournament, Zverev’s ability to weather the storm kept a prominent contender alive in the lower half of the men’s draw.

Next Up for the Top Seed

Next up for Zverev in the second round is France’s Quentin Halys. Halys advanced to the Flushing Meadows second stage by defeating Argentina’s Facundo Diaz Acosta. As Zverev prepares to face another opponent he has historically dominated, the top seed will look to find smoother momentum early in the match.

Musetti Makes Short Work of Féry

In contrast to Zverev’s draining opener, Lorenzo Musetti enjoyed a far more straightforward passage into the second round.

Musetti controlled the first two sets before encountering brief resistance in the third, where Féry initially grabbed a 2-0 lead. The Italian responded decisively by winning six of the next seven games to close out the match.

Féry, who reached the semifinals at Wimbledon in July and finished as a runner-up at Winston-Salem, saw his hard-court run halted by a tough opening draw as the 33rd-ranked Briton fell just outside the tournament’s seeded positions.

Confirming Physical Recovery in the Draw

Following a strong quarter-final showing at the Cincinnati Masters, Musetti confirmed his physical recovery and competitive form. He moves on to face Australia’s Dane Sweeny, who advanced following the retirement of Corentin Moutet while trailing 7-6, 6-4, 3-0.