Stefanos Tsitsipas weathered a serve-volleying storm from Maxime Cressy before grinding the American wildcard down 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4 to reach the third round of the US Open.
In a slow-burning contest of short, sharp points, fourth seed Tsitsipas had to fight off a set point against the French-born Cressy, who thrashed down 21 aces and chipped-and-charged relentlessly on a muggy night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
RELATED|
Impressing in his main draw debut at a Grand Slam, Cressy dragged the Greek deep into the final set but was broken in the ninth game as fatigue set in, allowing Tsitsipas to close out a tough win on serve.
Tsitsipas will next play Croatia's Borna Coric for a place in the last 16.
- Zverev powers past wildcard Nakashima -
Fifth seed Alexander Zverev fought off a spirited challenge from American wildcard Brandon Nakashima to claim a 7-5, 6-7(8), 6-3, 6-1 victory in the second round.
Zverev did not drop serve in a solid all-round display but was stretched to four sets by teenager Nakashima, ranked 223 in the world.
RELATED|
“I didn't get broken even though my second serve was shaky a little bit,” Zverev said. “My backhand was shaky too. I will have to go practise some more,” he added.
Zverev was on the front foot from the start against Nakashima but failed to convert any of his first three break point opportunities in the fifth game.
The German was not to be denied at the fourth attempt as he went on to clinch the opening set before Nakashima, who reached the US Open junior semifinals last year, came out fighting with some relentless baseline hitting.
Nakashima, who is coached by 1987 Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, earned two set points in the second set with a delicate drop shot but a lapse in concentration allowed Zverev to recover and force a tiebreak. Despite taking a 5-0 lead, Nakashima needed a further five set points and a Zverev double fault to level the contest.
Zverev needed to find another gear in the third set and he delivered with an early break before moving 2-1 ahead in clinical fashion. With momentum firmly on his side, he broke Nakashima's serve three more times to book a place in the third round.
- Shapovalov comes through Kwon scare -
Denis Shapovalov was twice forced to come from behind to beat Kwon Soon-woo 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and secure a place in the third round of the US Open for a fourth straight year.
The 12th seed was in all sorts of trouble against the unheralded South Korean on Louis Armstrong Stadium, losing the first set in an error-strewn tie-break and going 4-2 down in the third after levelling up the contest.
RELATED|
The 21-year-old Canadian broke back for 4-3 and called a medical timeout to have some treatment on his hip area before storming to victory by winning 10 of the last 12 games.
Shapovalov, who went out to Kevin Anderson and Gael Monfils in five-set thrillers in the third round on his last two visits to Flushing Meadows, will next face American Taylor Fritz.
Comments
SHARE