Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam experience proved decisive as the German third seed defeated Jacob Fearnley 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the US Open second round on Thursday.
The 2020 finalist weathering a spirited comeback from the Briton after asserting his dominance at Flushing Meadows.
For British No 3 Fearnley, whose rise from unranked outsider to world No 60 in two years represents one of tennis’s more compelling success stories, valuable experience was gained despite the disappointing end to his main draw debut.
Fearnley revealed afterwards that Zverev had kept him waiting for more than 10 minutes before the players walked to Louis Armstrong Stadium, saying: “I kind of expected it.
“It was the same in Australia and he’s always like, ‘Oh, I’m sorry about that’. But he knows what he’s doing. It was the same with Novak (Djokovic) at Wimbledon.
“They take their time. I don’t know if it’s within the rules or not. I don’t really know what the rule is. If they call me, I show up. It is a little bit of time because you do a 20-minute warm-up and then you’re standing there.”
Fearnley (left) congratulates Zverev at the net
Zverev’s tactical superiority was evident from the opening game, as he secured early breaks in the first two sets before Fearnley mounted an impressive resurgence.
After trailing two sets, the Briton, who appeared hampered by a shoulder injury, staved off five match points and battled his way back from 5-1 down.
He pulled off some spectacular shots, including a leaping backhand down the line winner that drew applause from Zverev.
After converting his sixth chance, the German greeted his opponent at the net by saying: “Where did that come from man? Well played.”
“Credit to him,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “He started playing unbelievable tennis. There wasn’t much I did wrong but he played some fantastic points. He made it interesting in the end, but I’m happy to be through.”
Fearnley took on Zverev for the third time this season having lost to him in Australia and Miami, and it was the same story
Two concerns for Fearnley were a “pop” he felt in his shoulder during the first set for which he took painkillers, and more serving problems, with the Scot hitting 12 double faults to go with the 18 he sent down in the first round.
The Scot is hopeful the shoulder is not a serious issue, but it will still be a concern for Davis Cup captain Leon Smith, who already seems certain to be without his number one player Jack Draper for next month’s play-off against Poland.
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