But the German will surely be hoping for an easier ride against 52nd-ranked Frenchman Quentin Halys in the second round on Thursday. French Open winner Zverev again anchors the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where two-time champion Naomi Osaka and US contenders Coco Gauff and Taylor Fritz are also in action.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev said his nearly five-hour, five-set first round escape against Lorenzo Sonego was just what he needed to limber up for his US Open title tilt.
Top-seeded Alexander Zverev said his nearly five-hour, five-set first round escape against Lorenzo Sonego was just what he needed to limber up for his US Open title tilt.
Badosa will be operating on short rest after her first-round match against Daria Kasatkina was halted twice by rain on Tuesday and she had to return to finish it off on Wednesday. She had two match points that she couldn’t convert before play was suspended and let slip five more when the match resumed on Wednesday before sealing the win. “Overall I think it was a great, tough battle, and I think it was a match that I needed after the last couple of weeks.
Zverev labored for four hours and 53 minutes to subdue Sonego in a wild five-setter lasting until nearly two in the morning.
He said there was “definitely room for improvement” but he didn’t grudge the effort. The protracted tussle with Sonego, which ended in Zverev’s seventh victory in seven matches against the Italian, was a valuable test, he said. “We always say that tennis is mental, but this, I think, was another level of mental,” Badosa said of the agonizing night she spent after failing to get over the line on Tuesday.
