Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the US Open match.
Alexander Zverev moved into the second round of this US Open without much trouble, but a far sterner opponent now awaits him — Jacob Fearnley. For now, however, the German has not dropped a set to him in their two previous head-to-head meetings. Can Fearnley offer any resistance this time?
Alexander Zverev
In the opening round, Alexander Zverev dealt with Alejandro Tabilo, a player ranked outside the top 100 who once performed successfully on tour. He faced difficulties only in the second set, which went to a tie-break. He stayed composed there and won it 7:4. The previous hard-court Grand Slam, the Australian Open, was almost perfect for the world No. 3: Zverev reached the final, where Jannik Sinner beat him swiftly. Before the final he had surrendered only two sets across six matches — both against top 20 opponents.
Jacob Fearnley
Jacob Fearnley is currently far from that bracket; he is ranked No. 60, which is almost a career-best mark for him. At the start of the US Open he faced the experienced 37-year-old Roberto Bautista Agut. The key moment in his win over the Spaniard came at the end of the opening set: Fearnley denied a set point at 4-5. Yes, he did lose the third set 5:7, but that does not unsettle you as much when you are leading by two sets.
Alexander Zverev vs Jacob Fearnley Prediction
If a moment like that occurs against Alexander Zverev, then leading by one set is unlikely to influence the final outcome — it would still be a win for the German. The second-round match could go long for Zverev, yet he remains more consistent on hard courts than on clay.
