US Open: Zverev survives five-set battle to avoid first-round upset
Top seed Alexander Zverev needed five hard-fought sets to advance past the first round of the US Open, while Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Flavio Cobolli also won. Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva produced the day's biggest upset.
The biggest story of the third day of the US Open was the grueling five-set win by top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany. The world number two and reigning French Open champion needed 6:4, 3:6, 6:7 (7), 7:5, 6:4 to beat Italy's Lorenzo Sonego, ranked 89th in the world. In the fourth set Zverev was just two points from a shock defeat but managed to save himself, winning that set and then the decisive fifth. The match lasted 4 hours and 55 minutes and marked Zverev's 25th career five-set victory.
World number six Flavio Cobolli of Italy also faced a tough test, dropping the first two sets before fighting back to win 3:6, 2:6, 6:3, 6:4, 6:4 against Argentina's Francisco Comesana, ranked 119th. It was the first time in Cobolli's career that he won a Grand Slam match after losing the opening two sets — he had previously lost all eight such matches.
Ninth seed Taylor Fritz of the United States had a smoother path, beating compatriot Darwin Blanch, ranked 245th on the ATP tour, in straight sets 6:3, 6:2, 6:4. American Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion, also opened her home tournament with a win, defeating Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez, ranked 53rd, 6:3, 6:4.
Kazakh players shine
Two Kazakh players also had a successful day. World number two and two-time Grand Slam champion Elena Rybakina defeated American Tea Frodin, ranked 585th, 6:3, 6:2 — Rybakina's 30th hard-court win of the season. Meanwhile, the day's biggest upset came from Yulia Putintseva, ranked only 84th, who beat 2020 Olympic champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, ranked 12th, 4:6, 7:5, 6:3.
