Sawt Falasteen - Zverev out-lasts Sonego in wild five-setter to advance at US Open

Zverev fought off a determined challenge from Sonego in a tense all-court battle spiced by unlikely retrievals, impossibly angled winners and some inexplicable errors, which wrapped up on Arthur Ashe Stadium after four hours and 53 minutes at 1:55 in the morning.

"I'm just happy I won, that's it," Zverev said. "Incredible battle, a lot of up and downs -- nearly five hours for a first round, I think it's the longest first round match I ever played in my life.

"Credit to him, he played an incredible match," Zverev said, adding it was just the kind of battle he needed after lackluster performances in two hard court tournaments coming into the Open.

Zverev, who followed his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros with a Wimbledon final appearance, notched his seventh win in as many matches against Sonego.

He avoided becoming the first men's top seed in 23 years to fall in the first round of Grand Slam, booking a second-round meeting with France's Quentin Halys.

After fending off a break point early in the fifth set, Zverev broke for 3-2 lead -- aided by two unforced errors and a double-fault from Sonego.

It was all the opening Zverev needed.

The German had pocketed the first set without facing a break point. After surrendering a break in the seventh game Sonego made him work to close it out, saving four set points on his own serve in the ninth game before Zverev produced a love hold.

The pressure built in the second set, Sonego earning his first break of the match for a 5-3 lead and serving it out to level the match.

Zverev looked first frustrated and then dejected as his errors piled up in the third set.

Sonego gave himself a break chance in the seventh game with a defensive lob that left the German stranded, and Zverev dropped his serve meekly with his second double fault of the game.

Sonego was serving for the set at 5-4 when Zverev stepped it up, breaking the Italian at love in a game that opened with Zverev's pinpoint passing winner off an acrobatic volley from Sonego.

Level again they went to the tiebreaker, where Zverev surrendered the set with a double fault on Sonego's second set point.

Sonego saved a pair of break points to open the fourth set and had saved three more in the fifth game before Zverev broke for 3-2, seizing the advantage with a lunging cross-court backhand that Sonego couldn't reach.

The momentum was short-lived as Sonego broke back in the next game, taking advantage of Zverev's botched overhead and closing out the game with a stunning passing shot and a forehand volley.

A love hold then put Sonego up 4-3, but he couldn't hang on, he fought off four more break points in the ninth game but Zverev broke him for 6-5 lead on the way to forcing the fifth set.

S.Abdullah--SF-PST