Alexander Zverev’s Grand Slam experience proved decisive as the German third seed defeated Jacob Fearnley 6-4 6-4 6-4 in the US Open second round on Thursday.

The 2020 finalist weathering a spirited comeback from the Briton after asserting his dominance at Flushing Meadows.

For Fearnley, whose rise from unranked outsider to world No 60 in two years represents one of tennis’s more compelling success stories, valuable experience was gained despite the disappointing end to his main draw debut.

Zverev’s tactical superiority was evident from the opening game, as he secured early breaks in the first two sets before Fearnley mounted an impressive resurgence.

After trailing two sets, the Briton, who appeared hampered by an arm injury, staved off five match points across three thrilling games in the final set before Zverev finally prevailed.

“Credit to him,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “He started playing unbelievable tennis. There wasn’t much I did wrong but he played some fantastic points. He made it interesting in the end, but I’m happy to be through.”

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