Top seed Zverev outlasts Sonego in five-set thriller to progress at US Open

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a] arrived in New ‌York as a major champion for the first time after ‌his French Open triumph in June and is ‌widely seen as the man to beat with world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] absent and defending champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Carlos Alcaraz[/a] recently ‌returning from injury.[/p][p]Zverev converted only one of ⁠seven break-point opportunities ‌in winning the opening set before world number 89 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sonego-lorenzo/zVuMEJTT/"]Sonego[/a] responded ​in the second, breaking early and shifting the momentum before serving out to love and ​sealing the set with an ace.[/p][image alt="Key match stats" id="977347e2-7521-4f06-ba0c-2bef3f7c6ca0" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="1668564e-d0aa-4125-9d58-7a4947742d40" original-width="2160" original-height="2700" /][p]A back-and-forth third set went to a tiebreak, where a double fault from ⁠Zverev handed Sonego ​the opening he needed to move ahead 2-1.[/p][p][b]After the pair traded breaks in the fourth, Zverev found himself two points away from defeat before securing a crucial hold ‌and breaking serve to force a deciding set.[/b][/p][p]Zverev [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/sonego-l-zVuMEJTT/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=pM2oFtsn"]completed the turnaround[/a] as Sonego ran out of steam, the German happy to avoid becoming the first top seed to lose in the first round of a Grand Slam since Lleyton Hewitt in 2003 at Wimbledon.[/p][p][b]"I'm just happy I won, that's it,"[/b] Zverev said.[/p][embed guid="8aa88691-8488-461c-b545-d09666f65345" url="https://x.com/atptour/status/2095031195419447615" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I think it was an incredible battle, lots of ups ‌and downs, nearly five hours. I think it was ​my longest first-round match at a Grand Slam.[/b][/p][p]"He ‌would have beaten a lot of players but I'm happy to be through.[/p][p][b]"I'm happy I won this kind of battle and it was exactly what I needed ... good things happen after you fight through ⁠these matches."[/b][/p][p]Zverev will ⁠next face Frenchman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/halys-quentin/EDve8Ljh/"]Quentin ‌Halys[/a].[/p][infobox id="3dc51b3a-107f-482b-9173-a97d347ef1b3" /]