- "Rigorous Contest": Zverev triumphs in German US Open encounter
Alex Zverev gave Maximilian Marterer, his Olympic roommate, a pat on the back and grinned following a tough-fought match. The German combat in New York saw Zverev come out on top, winning 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2. With a match length of 2 hours and 53 minutes, Zverev clinched his first match point with ease. Next up for him is the winner of the match between Alex Muller and Adam Walton.
Zverev acknowledged the challenges he faced during the match, mentioning, "It wasn't a walk in the park, he's my teammate and knows me well." He struggled, as he often does at the start of Grand Slam tournaments. "It was just my usual first round," he said.
Niemeier makes waves
Two German players demonstrated strong performances. Jule Niemeier secured a minor upset against Ukrainian 32nd seed Dajana Jastremska, clinching the match 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 after 3 hours and 10 minutes. The Dortmund native expressed her satisfaction, stating, "It was a fantastic match, we fought tooth and nail for every single game." Niemeier's career has been on a downswings, but this win probably signaled a revival.
Tatjana Maria handled Argentine Solana Sierra with ease, winning 6-2, 6-3. Maria now has a tough task ahead facing Coco Gauff, the defending US Open champion. Sadly, Laura Siegemund fell short against Maya Joint, the Australian qualifier, losing 4-6, 5-7.
Zverev's mother witnesses drama
In the heat of New York, Zverev's performance was far from his peak required to secure his first Grand Slam title, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees. The 2021 Olympic champion made several unforced errors, threw his racket on the ground, and had a heated argument with his box, where his mother Irina and girlfriend Sophia Thomalla were seated. Normally, Irina finds it too hard to watch her son's matches from the stands.
Ranked 100th in the world, Marterer managed to get into the main draw despite failing to qualify for the US Open due to Finnish player Emil Ruusuvuori's withdrawal. They shared a room at the Paris Olympics, where Marterer, now 29, and younger Zverev were roommates in the German tennis pros' Olympic village.
Zverev's inconsistencies continued
Zverev had a strong beginning, breaking Marterer's serve within 3 minutes. However, he faced a break point in the first set due to some sloppy forehand errors in long rallies, which he managed to hold off. Zverev went on to claim the set in 30 minutes, securing it with an ace.
Marterer held his own in terms of speed throughout the match. Zverev's first serve success rate dropped, resulting in fewer quick points. In the initial break, he managed to regain his serve, but in the tiebreaker, Zverev became increasingly frustrated with his misplaced shots, and a double fault at 5-6 cost him the set.
Zverev's frustration intensified. At 0-1, he lightly tossed his racket onto the ground, engaging frequently with his support group in the stands. This outburst seemed to help: despite some errors, Zverev reestablished control of the match. He clinched the third set and then broke Marterer's serve at love, leading 3-2. From then on, he didn't lose another game.
Despite being roommates at the Paris Olympics, Maximilian Marterer faced off against Alex Zverev in the US Open, with the United States of America serving as the host nation. Zverev's inconsistencies continued in this match, but he managed to turn things around and secure a victory, proving his resilience on the court.
