Key Points

Zverev fought off top-notch tennis at times from Tabilo to reach the US Open second round for the ninth time.

Zverev broke to start the match and sprinted through the opening set. Tabilo settled in and held his own in the second, serving first and leading the entire way until the tiebreak. The left-hander even had a set point on Zverev's racquet at 5-6, Ad-out, after blasting an inside-out forehand crosscourt winner.

But Zverev erased it with a service winner out wide and claimed the tiebreak at his first opportunity. In the third, Zverev broke in the tenth and final game, his third break of the match, US Open reports.

"It wasn't great at times to be very honest, but you know, I'm through, I won in straight sets, that's the most important thing. There's a lot to build still, there's a lot to improve," Zverev said.

Next for Zverev is Brit Jacob Fearnley, who beat Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut 7-5, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4. Zverev leads their head-to-head 2-0.

The German did well to bounce back from his Wimbledon first-round loss. He also made back-to-back semifinals at the hard-court ATP Masters 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati.

Zverev hopes what is next is his first major championship title. He has had two other major final appearances, including at Roland Garros 2024 and the 2025 Australian Open.

"It's about going the final step. I love playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium. I think it's one of the most beautiful stadiums in the entire world, the biggest stadium for us in tennis," Zverev said. "It's about winning the last point in those [finals] for me. I'm very hopeful I can do that this year," said Zverev.

- IANS