Eala cruises in US Open first round, Zverev battles through five sets
Axios (Tổng hợp từ Al Jazeera English)
Alex Eala continued her impressive run with a dominant first-round win at the US Open, while top seed Alexander Zverev needed five sets to overcome Lorenzo Sonego. American stars Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Fritz also advanced to the second round.
Top seed Alexander Zverev weathered the storm named Lorenzo Sonego to reach the second round of the US Open, keeping alive his bid for a third consecutive Grand Slam final amid persistent heavy rain that disrupted the schedule at Flushing Meadows, New York.
Zverev, the Roland Garros champion and Wimbledon runner-up, is the top seed in New York with world number one Jannik Sinner sidelined by a knee injury. He labored for 4 hours 53 minutes against Sonego before prevailing 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4.
“I’m just happy I won, that’s it,” Zverev said. “I’m happy I won this match, and that’s exactly what I needed… Good things come when you fight through matches like this.”
The German was just two points from defeat but held his nerve at key moments to set up a second-round clash with Quentin Halys.
Eala produces near-flawless display
Earlier, home favorites Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, and Taylor Fritz all won under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday, before highly touted newcomer Alexandra Eala showed clear progress with a nearly error-free performance.
Keys, the 2017 runner-up, was eliminated in the first round last year due to nerves but this time found the right formula, defeating Alina Korneeva 7-5, 6-4. “It’s hard to play the first round of a Grand Slam. It’s very stressful, and you want to do well,” said Keys, who will face Anna Bondar next. “I’m grateful I got through.”
Ninth seed Fritz had an easier outing, easing past 18-year-old wildcard Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4. The 2024 finalist is among the leading contenders to end the 23-year drought for American men at Grand Slams since Andy Roddick’s title at Flushing Meadows.
“That’s very important to me,” Fritz said. “I’d be pretty disappointed if I didn’t. In my life, whenever I’ve set a big goal, I’ve always accomplished it.”
On Louis Armstrong Stadium, men’s fifth seed Flavio Cobolli rallied past Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, while women’s fifth seed Mirra Andreeva beat Janice Tjen 6-2, 6-2. Gauff earlier dispatched Zeynep Sonmez 6-3, 6-4 to begin her quest for a third Grand Slam title. Eala, one of the most anticipated names of the day, crushed qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2.
Rain causes headaches for organizers
Thousands of fans in rain ponchos wandered around the grounds as rain caused lengthy delays for matches on outdoor courts. Among the notable players affected was Thea Frodin, who played young Serena Williams as a stunt double in the 2021 film “King Richard.”
She received strong home support but there was no Hollywood ending in her WTA Tour debut against second seed Elena Rybakina, who won 6-3, 6-2. Lorenzo Musetti then eased past Arthur Fery 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on the largest outdoor court.
Alex de Minaur was scheduled to play the final match on Grandstand against Andrea Guerrieri, but that match and several others were canceled when rain returned in the evening. Organizers will need to complete a total of 14 first-round matches on Wednesday, including the postponed ones.
French star Gael Monfils celebrated his 40th birthday with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 victory over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo to continue his farewell Grand Slam campaign.
