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The Latest: Gold medalist Zverev wins quick opening match

Associated Press

Tags: Reilly Opelka, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Vera Zvonareva, Rafael Nadal, Sports, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Mackenzie McDonald, Roger Federer, Karolina Pliskova, David Goffin
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Alexander Zverev, of Germany, serves to Sam Querrey, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Alexander Zverev, of Germany, serves to Sam Querrey, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns a shot to Sam Querrey, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, serves to Catherine McNally, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, prepares for a serve from Catherine McNally, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Catherine McNally, of the United States, returns a shot to Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, serves to Catherine McNally, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)
Tennis fans watch play between Karolina Pliskova, of the Czech Republic, and Catherine McNally, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Associated Press

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, serves to Sam Querrey, of the United States, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

NEW YORK – The Latest on the U.S. Open tennis tournament (all times local):

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2:05 p.m.

Alexander Zverev opened his bid for a second straight U.S. Open final appearance with a win in his opening match.

Zverev needed only 1 hour, 40 minutes to beat Sam Querrey 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

Zverev won the first two sets last year in the final against Dominic Thiem before losing the match. It was Zverev’s first Slam final.

Zverev won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and is one of three players with four titles this season.

He’s won 12 straight matches.

The German knocked off top-ranked Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the Tokyo Games. Djokovic is trying to become the first man since 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam. He plays Tuesday night.

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1:40 p.m.

Karolina Pliskova and Reilly Opelka were among the early winners on the second day of the U.S. Open.

Pliskova, a 2016 finalist, beat Caty McNally 6-3, 6-4 in her first-round match as the former world No. 1 tries continues her rebound from several lean years on the tour. Pliskova lost the Wimbledon final this year and fell to 0-2 in major finals.

Reilly Opelka, one of 15 Americans playing in bottom half of the draw on Tuesday, defeated Soonwoo Kown 7-6 (7), 6-4, 6-4.

Mackenzie McDonald, another American, beat David Goffin 6-2, 7-5, 6-3. McDonald needed surgery for a torn hamstring tendon a little more than two years ago and couldn’t walk for weeks. He lost the Citi Open final in August in Washington.

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11:15 a.m.

The second day of the U.S. Open is underway and the No. 1 seeds in both draws are set to compete.

Novak Djokovic opens his bid to become the first man since 1969 to win a calendar-year Grand Slam when he plays 18-year-old qualifier Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune of Denmark in the first match of the night session in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Djokovic would break a tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most major titles among men if he wins the tournament. They all have 20.

Djokovic is 15-0 in the first round at the U.S. Open and has won eight of the last 12 Grand Slam tournaments.

Women’s No. 1 seed Ash Barty faces Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 U.S. Open runner-up, on Ashe in an afternoon match.

Andy Murray was still hot a day after he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening round. Murray said after the match that he “lost respect” for Tsitsipas for pushing the boundaries when it comes to taking breaks during a match. Murray tweeted on Tuesday that it takes Tsitsipas “twice as long to go the bathroom as it takes Jeff (Bezos) to fly into space.”

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More AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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