Alexander Zverev digs deep to survive Lorenzo Sonego and keep US Open hopes alive

The German prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 after four hours and 52 minutes on court, maintaining his perfect record against Sonego at 7-0.

Zverev, who became the No. 1 seed at a Grand Slam for the first time after Jannik Sinner withdrew with a right knee injury, had to dig deep to avoid an unwanted piece of history.

A defeat would have made him the first men's top seed to exit a Grand Slam in the opening round since Ivo Karlovic beat Lleyton Hewitt at Wimbledon in 2003.

The 29-year-old struggled to make the most of his opportunities, converting only five of 22 break points during the contest.

Sonego repeatedly frustrated him with his impressive court coverage, reaching shots that appeared destined to become winners, while a series of pressure serves helped the Italian stay alive.

Zverev finally found the decisive breakthrough late in the fifth set before closing out the contest.

The result extends a remarkable Grand Slam run for Zverev, who claimed his maiden major title at the French Open before finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon. 

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