He then specifically detailed how the Italian aggressively attacked his own elite serving mechanics.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say I would have one of the fastest second serves on tour, and he was attacking it all the time,\u201d Zverev continued. \u201cSo he played amazing. I have to give credit to him, but yeah, I\u2019m just happy that in the end I managed to win.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sonego shockingly dominated several statistical categories despite entering the tournament ranked 89th in the world. This statistical inversion nearly triggered the biggest upset of the entire competition.<\/p>\n
The Italian challenger outpaced Zverev in total aces, firing 16 to the German\u2019s 12 while simultaneously producing fewer double-faults. Zverev also experienced a massive drop in his usual first-serve percentage, landing just 66 percent compared to his standard 75 percent average. Sascha managed to generate 22 break point opportunities but struggled massively to capitalize, converting only five throughout the entire match. The tense battle ultimately hinged on a double fault during the final set.<\/p>\n
The turning point came in the fifth game of the final set when Sonego made his biggest error of the night, a double fault on break point, giving Zverev the opening he needed. From there, the German, even without his best serve, held his nerve to close out the final set comfortably, 6-4.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/lorenzo-sonego-1-553x315.jpg\")
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\u201cI think there\u2019s definitely room for improvement,\u201d Zverev was candid about where his own game slipped during the marathon. \u201cI think tonight, funny enough, I think I missed a few more backhands than I usually do. That\u2019s something that doesn\u2019t happen very often. But definitely something that maybe I can adjust a little bit and hopefully moving forward it will be better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zverev\u2019s call on Sonego was not only generous but also accurate. The Italian arrived in New York ranked 89th in the world and carrying a losing record for the season of 11-14, a steep fall from the career-high No. 21 he reached back in 2021. But the one who appeared at Arthur Ashe was far from the player who had a bad year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sonego has been to a major quarterfinal before, reaching the last eight at the 2025 Australian Open by beating the likes of Stan Wawrinka along the way, and also has a win on his name against then-world No. 1 Novak Djokovic back in 2020. The night against the top seed, all of that came together, and Sascha knew it better than anyone.<\/a><\/p>\n A brutal survival that Zverev actually needed<\/p>\n For a match this physically taxing, Zverev framed the result less as a warning sign and more as exactly the kind of test his season had been missing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOverall, I think it was a great, tough battle, and I think it was a match that I needed after the last couple of weeks,\u201d he said, a nod to the early exits that marked his hard-court swing through Montreal and Cincinnati heading into New York.<\/p>\n Imago<\/p>\n ATP, Tennis Herren Masters 1000 National Bank Open Montreal 2026 \u2013 Round of 64 \u2013 Day 5 Alexander Zverev of Germany reacts during the Mens singles round of 64 match against Tallon Griekspoor of Netherlands on day 5 of the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open at IGA Stadium. on August 5, 2026, in Montreal, Canada. Photo by Horacio Zamora \/ Eyepix Group Copyright: xHoracioxZamorax\/xEyepixxGroupx HZ_05082026_194041<\/p>\n![\"Alexander](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/tennis\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/imago1080719602.jpg-1080x720.jpeg\")
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