Alexander Zverev beat Jacob Fearnley 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the US Open 2025 at Louis Armstrong Stadium, while third seed Coco Gauff also beat Donna Veki to progress ahead on Friday, August 29. Zverev used his Grand Slam experience to perfection as he fought through a spirited comeback from Fearnley.
The third seed earned early breaks in the first two sets before Fearnley scripted a spirited comeback. After being two sets down, the Briton saved five match points across three thrilling games in the third set, battling through an arm injury. Fearnley’s fighting spirit also earned praise from Zverev in the on-court interview.
“Credit to him. 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,” said Zverev in his on-court interview.
On the other hand, former champion Coco Gauff recovered from numerous service errors to beat Donna Vekic 7-6(5) 6-2 and made her way into round 3. Gauff was tested in the first set by Vekic, but she managed to control her string of unforced errors just enough to clinch it in a tiebreak.
Gauff further capitalised on a string of errors from Vekic in the second set to seal the win. Following her victory, Gauff revealed how the presence of American gymnast Simone Biles inspired her to bring her A game to the fore.
“I saw her and she helped me pull it out. I was thinking ‘If she can go on a six-inch beam and do that with all the pressure of the world, then I can hit the ball in this court. She’s an inspiration,” said Gauff in her on court interview.
Following her win, she will next take on Poland’s Magdalena Frch in the third round, while Alexander Zverev will lock horns with Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime.
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