Zverev tipped to beat Halys in US Open second round
No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev is widely tipped to beat Quentin Halys in the US Open second round after surviving a five-set Round 1 scare that ended near 2 a.m. Analysts still expect the German to advance—most in four sets—though Halys’s aggressive baseline style has troubled Zverev before.
Key Takeaways
- No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev faces veteran Frenchman Quentin Halys as the US Open men’s second round wraps on Day 5.
- Zverev survived a Round 1 five-setter that finished around 2 a.m., yet tipsters still back him to advance.
- Halys’s aggressive baseline game has troubled Zverev in the past, so a tricky match is possible.
- Last Word On Sports’ trio split on set count: two pick Zverev in four; one picks him in three.
- Day 5 also includes Mensik-Rodionov, Tien-Monfils, and Tabilo-Popyrin among 16 men’s matches.
Despite rainy conditions at the start of the 2026 US Open, Day 5 was set to finish the men’s second round with 16 matches. The headline draw for many fans is Alexander Zverev vs Quentin Halys, covered in depth by Last Word On Sports ahead of Thursday’s slate in New York.
An Associated Press photo caption later placed both players on court in the second round on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, underscoring why the German’s recovery from that overnight opener mattered so much.
Who is favored in Zverev vs Halys?
Zain Mustafa, Yesh Ginsburg, and Shane Black of Last Word On Sports all pick Zverev to win. Mustafa and Ginsburg forecast a four-set win; Black goes for three.
Mustafa notes Zverev continues to struggle on hard courts this summer and that Halys’s aggressive baseline style has troubled him before. Still, he expects the top seed to get through, even if it gets “trickier than he would like.”
Ginsburg says Zverev did not look good in his first match and needs a better level against the Frenchman—but still tips the German in four. Black frames the late finish as the scare Zverev needed in an open US Open draw.
Why does Zverev’s Round 1 scare matter?
Leaving court at 2 a.m. after a five-setter is rarely ideal. For some players it would signal fatigue and a poor follow-up. Black argues the opposite: the scare may sharpen the No. 1 seed as he tries to bounce back against a veteran French opponent.
That context explains the buzz around this Day 5 meeting. Fans hunting oddball tournament storylines can also browse more offbeat coverage in our Bizarre World hub.
What else is on the US Open Day 5 men’s slate?
Beyond Zverev, the same preview slate highlights Jakub Mensik vs Jurij Rodionov, Learner Tien vs Gael Monfils, and Alejandro Tabilo vs Alexei Popyrin. Tipsters lean Mensik over qualifier Rodionov, split on Tien-Monfils, and disagree on Tabilo-Popyrin.
Monfils, in what Mustafa called a potentially career-last Major outing, faces rising American Tien in a crowd-fueled baseline battle. Elsewhere, Popyrin’s strong Round 1 showing against Grigor Dimitrov fuels arguments he can upset seeded Chilean Tabilo on hard courts.
For Zverev watchers, the takeaway is simple: the top seed is the clear pick against Halys, but the overnight five-setter and Halys’s past success with aggression mean the path may not be tidy.