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Alexander Zverev defeated Quentin Halys in another five-set thriller at the US Open.
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The top seed spent more than four hours on court for his second consecutive match.
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Zverev will face Alejandro Tabilo in the third round as he continues his pursuit of a maiden US Open title.
September 04, (THEWILL) — Alexander Zverev has survived another exhausting five-set battle at the US Open, defeating France’s Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3 to reach the third round.
The German, seeded first at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, needed four hours and 33 minutes to finally put away Halys in a contest that stretched into the early hours of Friday morning.
The victory came just two days after Zverev was pushed to the limit by Lorenzo Sonego in the opening round, where he spent four hours and 53 minutes on court before securing another five-set victory.
Zverev Battles Through Another Late-Night Test
Playing in humid conditions, Zverev was forced to dig deep once again as Halys refused to surrender.
The match eventually finished at 2:15 a.m., adding another physically demanding chapter to Zverev’s New York campaign.
After more than nine hours of tennis across his opening two matches, the top seed has already been tested far more severely than he might have expected at the start of the tournament.
Yet the 29-year-old remains firmly in contention for a second Grand Slam crown after winning Roland Garros earlier this year.
A Chance to Go One Step Further in New York
Alexander Zverev se llevó el tercer set por 7-6 (3) ante Quentin Halys y quedó a uno de la victoria.
Importantisimo. pic.twitter.com/67kJxiaHoq https://t.co/DQhVe5ABsg
— Tiempo De Tenis (@Tiempodetenis1) September 4, 2026
Zverev has unfinished business at Flushing Meadows.
The German reached the US Open final in 2020 and appeared on course for his first Grand Slam title when he took a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem.
However, Thiem fought back to claim the championship, leaving Zverev still searching for his first US Open crown.
Five years later, Zverev has returned to New York as the tournament’s top seed and enters the second week with renewed confidence following his breakthrough at Roland Garros.
His biggest concern may now be recovery.
The German will need to find greater consistency with his groundstrokes while managing the physical toll of two consecutive marathon victories.
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Tabilo Awaits in the Third Round
Zverev’s next challenge will come against 25th seed Alejandro Tabilo.
The pair are familiar with each other, having already met twice on the ATP Tour, with Zverev winning both encounters.
Their most recent US Open meeting came in the first round last year, when Zverev defeated the Chilean to maintain his perfect record against him.
Tabilo will now have another opportunity to derail the tournament favourite, while Zverev will hope his latest marathon has not taken too much out of him.
After two gruelling victories in the opening rounds, the question is no longer whether Zverev can survive the pressure.
It is whether he can recover quickly enough to turn survival into a genuine US Open title run.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
