Top seed Alexander Zverev delivered a dominant performance at the US Open on Saturday, defeating 25th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2. The victory propelled the German into the last 16, a welcome shift after he had spent a staggering nine hours and 26 minutes on court during his first two matches—the longest duration for a top seed reaching the third round of a major tournament since 1999.
The French Open champion appeared determined to avoid another lengthy battle on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Tabilo had hoped to avenge a second-round loss to Zverev from the previous year. Reflecting on his tactical adjustment, Zverev shared a piece of advice from his coach: “My coach was actually quite smart — he explained to me a best of five set match doesn’t mean you have to play five sets.”
Zverev’s opening set was a masterclass in efficiency. He did not face a single break point, winning every one of his 11 points behind his first serve and five of seven on his second. He secured two breaks to claim the set in just 38 minutes and maintained his momentum to establish a 4-2 lead in the second set.
The match grew more competitive as Tabilo found his rhythm, creating a tighter contest. After Zverev fended off pressure in the sixth game, Tabilo managed to break back in the eighth, eventually forcing a tiebreaker. Zverev regained control decisively, dominating the tiebreaker 7/2 to take a two-set lead.
Tabilo attempted to mount a comeback in the third, earning two break points in the opening game, but Zverev denied him with a series of winners. Zverev then swept the final four games to seal the victory in two hours and 26 minutes. Despite the late start—caused by a lengthy match between Iva Jovic and Alexandra Eala that pushed his own start time to nearly 11:00 pm—Zverev expressed gratitude to the fans who remained until after 1:00 am.
“I am definitely happy with the improvements,” Zverev noted, explaining that he needed to find his rhythm after his previous 10 hours of court time. While he felt his performance from the back of the court was significantly better, he admitted to a lapse in focus toward the end of the second set. “I was not happy with the second set… I think the first and third sets are big improvement to the other days,” he added.
Looking ahead, Zverev is set to face Italian 21st seed Luciano Darderi in the fourth round. Darderi earned his spot in the round of 16 by defeating Australian wild card Dane Sweeny in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. The report also notes that virtually sprinting to a 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), 6-2 victory over Alejandro Tabilo to reach the last 16 after laboring through a pair of marathon five-setters, top seed Alexander Zverev picked up the pace at the US Open on Saturday. The report also notes that he got his first whiff of a chance when he went up 0-30 on Zverev’s serve in the sixth game of the second set.
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