Alexander Zverev took delight in finally besting Jannik Sinner in a marathon round of 16 clash at the US Open that lasted just under five hours.
It was Zverev's longest match ever at the US Open, and the German played out an absolute rollercoaster of a contest against Sinner. Both players were at the top of the game, and the match was tied at two sets, all before Zverev dug deep and took the final set 6-3 to progress to the quarter-finals.
After a solid first-round win in straight sets against Aleksandar Vukic, Zverev has faced some stern opposition in Daniel Altmaier, Grigor Dimitrov and then against Sinner at Flushing Meadows so far. However, when the German found out his contest against Sinnenr was his longest ever at the US Open during his post-match interview, he seemed to gain motivation and shared his joy at progressing.
"Longest match ever. I guess I can say I’m back right? This is what I live for. What I love to do. I would’ve loved to play a bit shorter. Last year when I wasn’t able to play, this is exactly what I missed. 1:30 am playing for a packed crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, there's nothing better"
After defeating Sinner, Zverev confirmed his place in the final eight at the US Open for a third consecutive time after he reached the final in 2020, the semi-finals in 2021 before missing out on the Grand Slam in 2022. But the 26-year-old will need to advance past world number one Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals this season if he is to go any deeper into the competition.
So far in 2023, Zverev has had an inconsistent campaign and his only tournament victory came at the German Open in July, while he also reached the semi-finals at the Roland Garros. But he will be hoping to improve in New York following an early exit at Wimbledon in June and at the Australian Open at the beginning of the season.
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