Zverev outlasts Sinner in Labor Day marathon to reach US Open quarters

No. 12 seed Alexander Zverev advanced to the US Open quarterfinals in a five-set thriller, defeating No. 6 Jannik Sinner 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 to cap an eventful Labor Day Monday in Flushing Meadows, New York.

The marathon ended after four hours and 41 minutes. Zverev booked a ticket to his third career US Open quarterfinal and 10th career Grand Slam quarterfinal. He came back to win the fifth after wilting in the previous frame.

"I was completely done in the fourth set," he acknowledged in his post-match interview on the court.

After holding serve to open the fifth, Zverev broke to go up 2-0. He consolidated the break in a grueling, dramatic third game and held serve the rest of the way.

The 26-year-old will take on No. 1 seed Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz dispatched unseeded Matteo Arnaldi in straight sets Monday afternoon.

Zverev, a finalist at the US Open in 2020, finished with 56 winners and only 46 unforced errors against Sinner, who smacked 50 winners but had 67 unforced errors.

Both competitors had Arthur Ashe Stadium buzzing all night long, with each winning their fair share of physical, extended rallies. Like Zverev, Sinner looked exhausted at times. He appeared to suffer from cramping throughout the second half of the match.

Sinner, 22, exits the tournament still seeking his big breakthrough on the Grand Slam stage. The Italian has just one major semifinal appearance (Wimbledon 2023) and zero finals berths. He won his first Masters 1000 event before the US Open, capturing the National Bank Open in Toronto in August.