Top-seeded Alexander Zverev survived another early scare Thursday night to advance to the third round of the US Open, but nothing about his second match was easy.
Zverev needed five sets and more than 4 1/2 hours to beat Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (3), 6-3 in the nightcap that stretched well into Friday morning.
Zverev was hoping for an easier time after needing five sets to edge Lorenzo Sonego on Tuesday. Instead, he became the first top-seeded man to play back-to-back five-set matches to start a major in the Open Era, which dates to 1968.
Spending more than nine hours on the court through two rounds, Zverev avoided the earliest exit by a No. 1 seed since Andre Agassi in 2000. Concluding at 2:15 a.m., it is the second-latest second-round finish in U.S. Open history.
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