ATP Tour

Zverev, De Minaur, Paul advance, Tsitsipas falls to Altmaier

Alexander Zverev continued his bid to crash the Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz party Thursday at the US Open. Aiming to go one step further than his 2020 runner-up finish and claim his maiden major crown, the German dispatched Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round.

Zverev never relinquished control across the two-hour, 28-minute match, during which he created 14 break chances, converting five. The 28-year-old sealed victory on his sixth match point to set a third-round meeting with Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Canadian whom Zverev leads 6-2 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

“He's somebody that when he plays well, he plays really well,” Zverev said of Auger-Aliassime. “When he doesn't play well, he really doesn't play well. He's in the third round, that means he's playing well. It's a difficult match, but I think it's a matchup that historically has fared me quite well. I hope it's going to be the case in two days' time.”

Next stop ↪️ R3!@AlexZverev fends off Fearnley 6-4 6-4 6-4.@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/zQ7jVNd5hy

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 29, 2025

Boasting a 45-16 season, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Zverev trails only Alcaraz (56) in match wins this season. A three-time major finalist, including a run to the Australian Open title match this year, Zverev has not dropped a set through two matches at Flushing Meadows. He saved all six break points he faced against Alejandro Tabilo in the opening round and was broken twice against Fearnley.

“I think my level has been good,” Zverev said. “It's been decent. I know that opponents will get extremely difficult the further I get, and a lot of things will change, but I'm happy where my level is at after two matches.”

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Auger-Aliassime ousted Roman Safiullin 6-1, 7-6(4), 7-6(5) to win consecutive matches at a major for the first time since advancing to the Roland Garros fourth round last year.

Eighth seed Alex de Minaur also advanced with a convincing 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 win against Japan’s Shintaro Mochizuki. The Australian, who committed just 23 unforced errors compared to Mochizuki’s 50, will next meet Daniel Altmaier.

The German saved a match point at 4-5, 30/40 in the fifth set to defeat 26th seed seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6(5), 1-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, backing up another five-set win in the opening round over Serbian Hamad Medjedovic.

An aggressive Altmaier served and volleyed 28 times in the match, including 14 times during the fifth set.

“It’s a big relief. I was a break down in the fourth and from that point on I just said that I would try to leave all my energy here,” Altmaier said. “Also after the first round playing five sets. I left my heart out here.”

Altmaier has twice reached the fourth round at Roland Garros, but prior to tonight's win had not  reached the second round in 11 career attempts at the other three majors.

Former Australian Open and Roland Garros finalist Tsitsipas has not been beyond the second round in his past six outings at the majors.

Tommy Paul booked his spot in the third round for a fourth consecutive year by edging Nuno Borges in a late-night thriller inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Having missed two match points on return at 5-4 in the third set, the American held on for a rollercoaster 7-6(6), 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 7-5 victory after four hours, 25 minutes.

“I’m a little bit tired right now, I’m sure we all are,” Paul said in his on-court interview. “I just want to say thank you guys for staying so late at night and supporting me. You guys really pushed me there in the fourth and fifth sets to keep going, and I don’t know if I would’ve got the win without you.”

Paul will next face three-time ATP Tour champion in 2025 Alexander Bublik, whom he leads 3-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.