“This is what I live for”: Zverev into US Open quarter-finals, beats Sinner in gruelling late-night epic

German Alexander Zverev, the No 12 seed, moved into the quarter-finals of the US Open by beating Italian Jannik Sinner, the No 6 seed, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Tuesday night.

It took four hours and 41 minutes to separate the two, with the German extending his head-to-head record over Sinner to 4-1 as he earnt his second Top 10 win at a Grand Slam. His only previous victory over a player ranked in the Top 10 at a Slam came at Roland-Garros last year – when he beat Carlos Alcaraz, the man he will face next in New York.

“I guess I can say I’m back, right?” Zverev said on court afterwards. “This is what I live for – this is what I absolutely love to do.”

He added: “This is one of the best moments of my career – after my comeback, after everything.”

The German won against Australian Aleksandar Vukic (6-4, 6-4, 6-4), Daniel Altmaier (7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3) and Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the No 19 seed (6-7 (2), 7-6 (8), 6-1, 6-1) earlier in the tournament.

In the previous rounds of the Flushing Meadows tournament, Sinner, ranked No 6, won against German Yannick Hanfmann (6-3, 6-1, 6-1), Lorenzo Sonego (6-4, 6-2, 6-4) and Swiss Stan Wawrinka (6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2).

Sinner has now lost the five longest matches of his career: five hours and 26 minutes against Daniel Altmaier at Roland-Garros this year, five hours and 15 minutes against Alcaraz at the US Open last year, this match, four hours exactly against Stefanos Tsitsipas at the Australian Open this year, and three hours and 55 minutes against Denis Shapovalov at the Australian Open in 2021.

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New York (Grand Slam), other last 16 results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):

• Daniil Medvedev (3) beat Alex De Minaur (13): 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2
• Andrey Rublev (8) beat Jack Draper: 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
• Carlos Alcaraz beat Matteo Arnaldi: 6-3, 6-3, 6-4
• Novak Djokovic (2) beat Borna Gojo (Q): 6-2, 7-5, 6-4
• Taylor Fritz (9) beat Dominic Stricker (Q): 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-4
• Frances Tiafoe (10) beat Rinky Hijikata (WC): 6-4, 6-1, 6-4
• Ben Shelton beat Tommy Paul (14): 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4