NEW YORK (Reuters) -Alexander Zverev's Grand Slam experience proved decisive as the German third seed defeated Briton Jacob Fearnley 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the U.S. Open second round on Thursday, weathering a spirited comeback after asserting his dominance at Flushing Meadows.
The 2020 finalist's tactical superiority was evident from the opening game, as he secured early breaks in the first two sets before Fearnley mounted an impressive resurgence.
After trailing two sets, the Briton, who appeared hampered by an arm injury, staved off five match points across three thrilling games in the final set before Zverev finally prevailed.
"Credit to him," Zverev said in his on-court interview. "He started playing unbelievable tennis. There wasn't much I did wrong but he played some fantastic points. He made it interesting in the end, but I'm happy to be through."
Fearnley's best spell came in games four and five of the second set, where he broke Zverev before holding to love with emphatic shot-making, but his struggles with his serve ultimately proved costly, with 12 double faults in the match.
Zverev's experience showed in the third set as he dominated a deflated Fearnley, racing to a 5-1 lead before sealing victory.
The statistics reflected his superiority, with the German sending down nine aces compared to four from his opponent, who made 46 unforced errors.
"It was good. I think it was better than the first round for sure, and Jacob is somebody who's playing well. So happy to be through in straight sets," Zverev said in his post-match press conference.
Asked about his confidence levels after two matches, Zverev struck a measured tone while acknowledging the challenge ahead.
"I think my level has been good. It's been decent. Of course, I know that opponents will get extremely difficult the further I get, and a lot of things will change, but I'm happy where my level is after two matches," he added.
The victory sends Zverev into the third round on his seventh consecutive appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2018, having missed the 2022 edition due to the ankle injury sustained during his Roland Garros semi-final against Rafa Nadal.
Up next for the German is Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, a familiar but unpredictable foe.
"I think we played quite a few times," Zverev said. "You know, he's somebody who, when he plays well, he plays really well. When he doesn't play well, he really doesn't play well.
"He's in the third round. That means he's playing well. It's a difficult match."
(Reporting by Simon Jennings in New York; Editing by Sonali Paul)
