Updated

Updated · Baltimore Sun · Sep 1

Zverev Survives 4-Hour, 52-Minute U.S. Open Opener as Gauff Wins in Straight Sets

Updated

Updated · Baltimore Sun · Sep 1

Zverev Survives 4-Hour, 52-Minute U.S. Open Opener as Gauff Wins in Straight Sets

Q: How did a simple bathroom break allow Flavio Cobolli to completely reverse a two-set deficit at the U.S. Open?

It was less about any physical magic and more about a mental and tactical reset. Cobolli said that after going down two sets to Francisco Comesana, he took a bathroom break and “decided to change everything.” He literally changed all the clothes he had started the match in, and he said the switch helped. The evidence from his own comments and match flow suggests the break interrupted a losing pattern. He had looked flat and dejected early, while Comesana was dictating play. The pause gave Cobolli a chance to step away, calm down, and return with a different mindset. After that, he began playing more assertively, held off pressure in the third set, and gradually took control with his forehand and return game. Cobolli framed it as a reminder of Grand Slam survival: matches are “never done” and players have to fight until the last point. That attitude mattered as much as the clothing change. He had entered the day 0-9 in majors when trailing by two sets, so the comeback was also a breakthrough in belief. In practical terms, the bathroom break worked because it gave Cobolli a clean psychological restart. He used it to break momentum, reset his focus, and return to the court determined to alter the match rather than drift out of it.

Q: Could Coco Gauff’s secret biomechanics training be the ultimate weapon that catapults her to the world No. 1 ranking?

Yes — it could be the difference-maker, but it is not a guarantee. The evidence around Coco Gauff’s work with biomechanics specialist Gavin MacMillan is strong. Since bringing him in before the 2025 U.S. Open, Gauff’s serve has become far more reliable and dangerous, addressing the biggest weakness in her game. Reported gains include a sharp drop in double faults, a rise in first-serve points won from 67% to 75%, and a jump in second-serve points won from 37% to 52%. At this year’s U.S. Open opener, she backed that up with multiple serves above 120 mph and a calm, efficient straight-sets win. That matters because Gauff already had elite movement, defense and returning. If her serve and forehand are no longer liabilities, her all-court package starts to look like a No. 1 profile. Rivals have noticed it too: Jessica Pegula said that when Gauff is moving well and serving well, “she’s really good.” Her recent form supports that view, with a Cincinnati title and semifinal runs at Wimbledon and Toronto. Still, the ranking math shows this is not solely in her hands. Entering the U.S. Open, Gauff was No. 4 at 6,704 points, behind Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina and Pegula. To leave New York at No. 1, she needs to win the title and also needs Rybakina to lose before the semifinals. So the biomechanics work may be the ultimate weapon in tennis terms. Whether it immediately delivers world No. 1 depends on both Gauff’s level and the results around her.

3 articles · Updated · Baltimore Sun · Sep 1

Alexander Zverev escaped a first-round upset just after midnight, beating Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-6, 6-4 in 4 hours, 52 minutes.
The No. 1 seed had been two points from defeat and would have become the first top-seeded man to lose in a major first round since Wimbledon 2003.
Coco Gauff opened her bid for a second U.S. Open title with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Zeynep Sonmez, steadying after a mid-second-set wobble.
Flavio Cobolli also rallied from two sets down, while Maria Sakkari came back from 6-2, 4-0 down; Taylor Fritz and Mirra Andreeva advanced comfortably.
Rain again limited play mostly to the two roofed stadiums, pushing some first-round matches into Wednesday in a draw already thinned by Novak Djokovic's exit and Jannik Sinner's knee injury.