‘Found my rhythm now’: Alexander Zverev happy with US Open run

Alexander Zverev during his Rd-3 tie vs Alejandro Tabilo on Saturday. Pic/AFP

Top seed Alexander Zverev picked up the pace at the US Open on Saturday, virtually sprinting to a 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 victory over Chile's 25th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo to reach the last 16 after laboring through a pair of marathon five-setters earlier.

The German had already spent nine hours and 26 minutes on court in his first two matches - the most time a top seed has needed to reach the third round of a major since 1999.

"I am definitely happy with the improvements [I've made]. I spent nearly 10 hours on the court in two matches so I had to find my rhythm somehow, and I did. From back of the court I was much better. My coach was actually quite smart - he explained to me a best of five set match doesn't mean you have to play five sets," joked the French Open champion. Meanwhile, India's Yuki Bhambri and Anirudh Chandrasekar bowed out of the US Open after both suffered first-round defeats in their respective men's doubles ties here.

Bhambri and his New Zealand partner Michael Venus were beaten by the American duo of Ryan Seggerman and Patrik Trhac 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-3), while Chandrasekar, who teamed up with Belarus's Ivan Liutarevich, lost 4-6, 7-5, 4-6 to the British pairing of Arthur Fery and Joshua Paris.

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