NEW YORK — Alexander Zverev finally got the kind of night he desperately needed at the US Open.
After surviving more than nine exhausting hours across his first two matches, the German top seed dispatched Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets, winning 6-2, 7-6(2), 6-2 on Saturday to reach the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
For Zverev, the victory was more than another step toward the trophy. It was a badly needed physical reset.
The 29-year-old had spent nine hours and 26 minutes on court in back-to-back five-set battles against Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys before facing Tabilo. His opening-round escape against Sonego lasted nearly five hours, with the German coming within two points of defeat before eventually prevailing.
Against Halys, the punishment continued.
Zverev needed another five sets—6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3—and four hours and 33 minutes to stay alive, meaning fatigue was becoming almost as significant an opponent as the players across the net.
This time, there would be no fifth set.
Zverev Comes Out Fast Against Tabilo
Facing 25th seed Tabilo, Zverev immediately looked determined to shorten the evening.
He broke the Chilean twice in the opening set and closed it 6-2, using his serve and baseline power to control the rallies before Tabilo could settle into the match.
For a while, the second set threatened to change everything.
Zverev moved ahead 4-2 before suddenly losing momentum. Tabilo reeled off three consecutive games and moved within striking distance of levelling the contest.
That was the night’s danger point.
Instead of allowing the match to turn into another marathon, Zverev recovered in the tiebreak, dominated it 7-2 and took a commanding two-set advantage. He then moved ahead 5-2 in the third before completing the straight-sets victory.
The relief was obvious.
Zverev joked afterward that his coach had reminded him that playing best-of-five tennis does not require actually playing five sets—a particularly appropriate observation after his brutal opening week. He also said his level was moving in the right direction, while acknowledging that he still believes he can play better.
From Surviving to Contending
The bigger picture makes Zverev’s recovery particularly significant.
He arrived in New York as the top seed and world No. 2, having already produced the strongest Grand Slam season of his career.
Earlier this year, Zverev finally broke through to win his first Grand Slam singles title at Roland Garros. He followed that by reaching the Wimbledon final, where he finished runner-up.
That makes New York an opportunity to turn an already historic season into something even bigger.
But his first two rounds revealed the danger.
Against Sonego, Zverev was pushed to the edge of elimination. Against Halys, he once again needed five sets. Those matches showed both his resilience and a vulnerability that stronger opponents could exploit deeper in the tournament.
The victory over Tabilo therefore mattered not merely because it moved him into the second week.
It gave his body a break.
And he may need every bit of that recovery for what is coming next.
Luciano Darderi Is Not an Ordinary Fourth-Round Opponent
Waiting for Zverev in the round of 16 is 21st-seeded Italian Luciano Darderi, who defeated Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to advance.
On paper, Zverev will be the favorite.
Recent history makes the matchup considerably more dangerous.
Darderi and Zverev have already met once in 2026—and the Italian won.
At the Rome Masters in May, Zverev dominated the opening set 6-1 and appeared headed for victory. He even held four match points in the second-set tiebreak.
Darderi saved all four.
He then completed a stunning 1-6, 7-6(10), 6-0 comeback, recording his first career victory over a Top-10 opponent and advancing to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarterfinal.
That result changes the psychological equation heading into New York.
Darderi already knows he can beat Zverev.
Zverev knows it too.
The Rome Collapse Gives This Match a Different Edge
The circumstances in Rome were extraordinary.
After cruising through the first set, Zverev twice held a break advantage in the second and had four opportunities to finish the contest in the tiebreak. When he failed to convert them, Darderi seized momentum and handed him a 6-0 final set.
Zverev later admitted that he believed he should have closed the match in two sets and acknowledged that fatigue had played a role.
There is an obvious parallel with New York.
Once again, managing Zverev’s physical reserves could become crucial.
The difference is that his three-set win over Tabilo may have changed the equation dramatically.
Instead of entering the fourth round after another four- or five-hour battle, Zverev finally avoided a marathon.
A US Open Draw That Is Becoming Increasingly Interesting
Zverev’s section of the men’s draw has also become less predictable after several notable exits.
Taylor Fritz, the 2024 US Open finalist, lost despite taking the first two sets against Francisco Cerundolo, while sixth seed Flavio Cobolli was eliminated by Alexander Blockx.
That does not guarantee an easier route for Zverev.
Grand Slam draws often become most dangerous when established favorites disappear and lower-seeded players arrive with confidence and little pressure.
Darderi is a perfect example.
He is not among the tournament’s biggest names, but he has already demonstrated this season that rankings alone do not protect Zverev from him.
Zverev Has Finally Found Breathing Room — Now Comes the Rematch
For three rounds, Zverev’s US Open has essentially been a test of survival.
Sonego nearly knocked him out.
Halys forced him through another five-set ordeal.
Tabilo briefly threatened to drag him into another extended fight.
But this time, Zverev stopped the momentum swing before it became a crisis.
That may prove to be one of the most important developments of his tournament.
The French Open champion has now reached the second week in New York with his title ambitions intact and, for the first time during this US Open, without needing five sets to get there.
Yet the reward is a rematch carrying considerably more baggage than an ordinary fourth-round encounter.
Luciano Darderi has already saved four match points against Zverev this year.
He has already come back from a set down against him.
And he has already beaten him.
Zverev finally escaped the marathon matches. Now he has to beat the man who knows exactly how to make him lose one.
WWC ONE MEDIA M.J.E
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