Top-seeded Zverev begins US Open campaign, Gauff and Eala in action

[p]Germany's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a] led [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thiem-dominic/dtwmvonR/"]Dominic Thiem[/a] by two sets to love in the 2020 US Open final and came away empty-handed. It would be six years before he finally hoisted a major trophy at Roland Garros.[/p][p]"I still feel like I should have won in 2020, that doesn't change," Zverev said as he looked forward to his first-round clash with Italy's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sonego-lorenzo/zVuMEJTT/"]Lorenzo Sonego[/a].[/p][p]Women's Australian Open champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/rybakina-elena/UDzElXdm/"]Elena Rybakina[/a], closing in on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a]'s number one world ranking, fourth-seeded American [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a] and rising Philippines star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/eala-alexandra/ppu9X7PH/"]Alexandra Eala[/a] are also in action as the first round concludes on Tuesday.[/p][p]AFP Sport looks at three matches to watch on Day 3 of the US Open:[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sonego-l-zVuMEJTT/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=pM2oFtsn"]Alexander Zverev v Lorenzo Sonego (6-0)[/a][/h2][p]Zverev followed up his maiden Grand Slam triumph at Roland Garros with a run to the final at Wimbledon, but the German's results in the build-up to the US Open have been lackluster. He lost his opening match at the Montreal Masters and fell in the fourth round in Cincinnati.[/p][p]A meeting with 89th-ranked Sonego, who has lost all six prior encounters with the German, could be just what Zverev needs.[/p][image alt="Win probability" id="ec6227cf-27e0-4f74-b7aa-5ec7e65bc251" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1539048f-b8f3-4818-a809-bf34ddd4aea0" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]"I definitely feel like my game has been coming back, and it's been better and better every practice session that I've had," Zverev said "I hope I can show my best tennis here again."[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/sonmez-z-vZ8lpjnM/?mid=8CmjYz6E"]Zeynep Sonmez v Coco Gauff (First meeting)[/a][/h2][p]Gauff won the first of her two Grand Slam titles at the 2023 US Open, and she arrives at Flushing Meadows with high hopes of another strong run. The 23-year-old American is coming off a WTA 1000 title in Cincinnati, her first title since last October in Wuhan.[/p][embed guid="994fc1ea-eaa8-431d-b5f1-5f62a8efba3b" url="https://x.com/usopen/status/2091549833546903623" social-type="twitter" /][p]It's a far cry from 2025, when Gauff's service struggles prompted her to make a coaching change just days before the tournament.[/p][p]Her experience and hard-hitting game make her a heavy favourite against the 53rd-ranked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sonmez-zeynep/vZ8lpjnM/"]Sonmez[/a] of Turkey, who claimed her only WTA title to date in Merida in 2024.[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/eala-a-ppu9X7PH/stoiana-m-K6fgsbWR/?mid=WxJvEwIq"]Mary Stoiana v Alexandra Eala (0-1)[/a][/h2][p]Eala's second appearance in the US Open main draw follows her first WTA title in Washington this month, which cemented her status. The 21-year-old was already a global phenomenon, and Louis Armstrong Stadium promises to be packed with vocal Filipino fans that have become a staple at all of her matches.[/p][embed guid="698c47b4-7c38-4d0b-bd24-91dcd93c4725" url="https://x.com/TennisChannel/status/2094064781082694035" social-type="twitter" /][p]But there should be plenty of support for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/stoiana-mary/K6fgsbWR/"]Stoiana[/a], a qualifier ranked 122nd in the world. Stoiana is a former US collegiate number one who led Texas A&M to the NCAA title in 2024 and will be eager to make an impression in her first meeting with a top 20 player.[/p][infobox id="3dc51b3a-107f-482b-9173-a97d347ef1b3" /]