New York (USA) – Alexander Zverev’s quest for his first Grand Slam title continues at this US Open. The German secured his spot in the quarterfinals after overcoming American Brandon Nakashima, ranked 50th, by a score of 3/6, 6/1, 6/2, and 6/3. This was the second comeback in a row for the current world number 4, who also started behind against Argentine Tomas Etcheverry in the third round.
Sascha also reached a special milestone this Sunday, marking the 450th victory of his career. Furthermore, this is the fourth time Zverev has reached the quarterfinals of the US Open. The 27-year-old German was a runner-up in 2020, a semifinalist in 2021, and reached the quarterfinals last year. In the current season, he was a finalist at Roland Garros, reached the semifinals in Australia, and didn’t get past the fourth round on the grass at Wimbledon.
Zverev’s opponent in the quarterfinals will be the host Taylor Fritz, ranked number 12, who defeated Norwegian Casper Ruud by 3/6, 6/4, 6/3, and 6/2. At 26 years old, Fritz reaches the quarterfinals of the US Open for the second consecutive time. He has four wins and five losses against the German on the circuit.
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After being beaten by Zverev this Sunday, Nakashima matched his best career performance in a Grand Slam, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in 2022. In New York, he had never advanced past the third round. The young 23-year-old player is seven positions below his highest ranking, 43rd place, achieved two seasons ago.
Nakashima took advantage of the only break point he had in the first set to lead 5/3 and escaped all five break points he faced in that set, four of them while serving for the set. But Zverev delivered an impeccable second set, with five aces, two breaks, and only three points lost on serve.
Right at the start of the third set, Zverev broke serve again and led 2/0. Once again, he was not threatened on serve, losing only two points in his service games. The pressure on Nakashima continued in the fourth set, and the German managed to win five games in a row while maintaining serve security, finishing the match with 14 aces. Also in the final set, Sascha nearly twisted his right ankle while trying to reach a ball when the score was 3/1 in his favor, but it turned out to be just a scare.