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Zverev and Gauff hope to live up to high expectations at US Open

Cyprus Mail · 2026-09-01

AI SUMMARY

• What happened: The U.S. Open's first round continues with top seeds Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff set to compete, alongside rising star Mirra Andreeva. • Why it matters: Zverev aims to build on his recent Grand Slam success, while Gauff seeks to defend her title and capitalize on her recent momentum after winning the Cincinnati Open. • What to watch next: Key matches include Zverev facing Lorenzo Sonego and Gauff competing against Zeynep Sonmez, as both players look to advance in the tournament.

The U.S. Open’s first round continues on Tuesday as top seed Alexander Zverev looks to continue a stellar run of form that has seen him win the French Open and reach the final at Wimbledon this year. Mirra Andreeva, who also triumphed at Roland Garros in June, will be in action as well, while former champion Coco Gauff launches her bid to win her home Grand Slam again. TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: ZEYNEP SONMEZ V COCO GAUFF Gauff was 19 when she beat Aryna Sabalenka to claim her first Grand Slam title at the 2023 U.S. Open. Last year, she also won the French Open, and at 22, she is regarded as one of the veterans in the field at Flushing Meadows. “Veteran, I guess with my experience, yeah. With my age probably not. But I think the expectations are high… U.S. Open can be the one you feel the most pressure at, just being an American you want to succeed and do well,” Gauff said ahead of her eighth U.S. Open main draw campaign. Gauff reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last month and won the Cincinnati Open last week, and she is looking to build on that momentum and add a third major title to her collection. TOP MEN’S MATCH: ALEXANDER ZVEREV V LORENZO SONEGO Zverev stumbled in three Grand Slam finals, including at the 2020 U.S. Open, before he finally won a major at the French Open this year. But he followed that up with a Wimbledon final loss, and suffered early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati. “Once you win one, you want to win more. You want to keep going and you want to play your best tennis every time you’re on a tennis court,” world number two Zverev said, addressing concerns around his sudden drop in form. “I feel like I have done it after the French Open, and then I haven’t done it the last two tournaments. But I definitely feel like my game has been coming back… I hope I can show my best tennis here again.” ANDREEVA LOOKS TO REVIVE WINNING FORM Andreeva won her first Grand Slam at the French Open in June. Weeks later, she suffered a second-round loss at Wimbledon, where she had reached the quarter-finals in 2025. “After I won in Paris, the first few tournaments were not easy because I was still sometimes thinking, wow, I won! Yay! Great! Considering how I’ve played since, that’s not the best,” Andreeva said earlier this month. The 19-year-old took a rare two-week break from tennis to mentally reset before the hardcourt season, and although she suffered early exits at Toronto and Cincinnati in the lead-up to the U.S. Open, the world number five is hoping to revive her winning form at Flushing Meadows. U.S. OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON TUESDAY (prefix number denotes seeding): ARTHUR ASHE STADIUM (1530 GMT/1130 ET) 22-Madison Keys (U.S.) v Alina Korneeva (Russia) 9-Taylor Fritz (U.S.) v Darwin Blanch (U.S.) Zeynep Sonmez (Turkey) v 4-Coco Gauff (U.S.) 1-Alexander Zverev (Germany) v Lorenzo Sonego (Italy) LOUIS ARMSTRONG STADIUM (1500 GMT/1100 ET) Francisco Comesana (Argentina) v 5-Flavio Cobolli (Italy) 5-Mirra Andreeva (Russia) v Janice Tjen (Indonesia) Adolfo Daniel Vallejo (Paraguay) v Gael Monfils (France) Mary Stoiana (U.S.) v 17-Alexandra Eala (Philippines)

Source: Cyprus Mail
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