Zverev, Shelton through to US Open second round
Fourth seed Alexander Zverev has out-duelled fellow German Maximilian Marterer 6-2 6-7 (7-5) 6-3 6-2 in the first round of the US Open.
Zverev, seeking a debut grand slam title after reaching the Australian Open semis and the Roland Garros final this year, flexed his dominant serve as he blasted 21 aces on Monday.
Unseeded Marterer, the “lucky loser” that entered the year’s final major draw after Emil Ruusuvuori withdrew last week, captured a close second set but was ultimately overpowered by the world No. 4.
Zverev looked sharp in the first set, breaking his opponent’s serve in the opening game before Marterer battled back to claim a back-and-forth second set in a tiebreak.
The big-serving Zverev looked frustrated at times, tossing his racket at the start of the third set after committing one of 44 unforced errors.
Zverev called his topsy-turvy performance in the year’s final major a typical opening round for him, and said he expects to shore up his game in upcoming matches.
“I’m not usually the type of player that plays extremely well in first-round matches,” Zverev said, citing an undesirable 11am start.
“I feel like I had a very good practice week so far here. I know that I have good tennis in me, and it’s about showing that on the match court.
“I think my performance will improve over the next few matches.”
The win sets up a second round clash with either Frenchman Alexandre Muller or Australia’s Adam Walton.
Dominic Thiem said he had no regrets about how his career panned out as he bid adieu to the majors following a 6-4 6-2 6-2 first-round defeat by 13th-seeded American Ben Shelton.
The 30-year-old Austrian won the US Open in 2020 before suffering a wrist injury in 2021 which kept him out of action for months and saw him slip down the world rankings.
Earlier this year, he announced he would retire at the end of the 2024 season, after playing at his home Vienna Open in October.
The former world No.3 reflected on his successes at Flushing Meadows, where he reached the fourth round on his debut and played memorable five-setters against Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal.
“When I came first here as a pro, I straightaway played fourth round, and that gave me a boost for all the upcoming years,” Thiem said.
“If you have really good memories or if you have a good start, it really gives you positive vibes for the future … But still, 2020 is above everything and is also above everything else in my tennis career.”
Elsewhere, winners included sixth seed Andrey Rublev, No.8 Casper Ruud, and Americans Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton, the 12th and 13th seeds.
Defending champion Novak Djokovic plays Radu Albot in the last match in the main stadium at night.
With AAP & AP.
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