Zverev suffers early US Open exit against Kohlschreiber

Philipp Kohlschreiber caused a huge upset with a third-round US Open victory over fellow German Alexander Zverev.

Fourth seed Zverev made another week one exit at Flushing Meadows, going down 6-7(7) 6-4 6-1 6-3 in three hours and nine minutes.

“He played a good match, played a smart match,” Zverev said.

“He mixed it up well, didn’t give me a lot of opportunities. On the other hand, I also did over 50 unforced errors, which the last few matches I didn’t do. It was a mixture of both.”

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The 21-year-old has won three Masters titles in his career and leads the tour with 45 wins this season, but he has only one Grand Slam quarterfinal appearance to his credit, at this year’s French Open, and is now 4-4 at Flushing Meadows.

He had Ivan Lendl, a former world No.1 player and coach to Andy Murray, in his team for the first time at a Grand Slam in New York.

“It’s a process of developing,” added Zverev. “I took him on to do well at Slams. But this is a process. You can’t expect to kind of immediately see the results. I think the results will come hopefully next year.”

Kohlschreiber advances to the last 16 at the event for the fifth time and will meet Kei Nishikori, a 6-4 6-4 5-7 6-1 winner over Diego Schwartzman, for a place in the quarterfinals.

“The difference was, I think, I returned his serve quite well,” said Kohlschreiber, “so I was able to manage all the power and force he had to put many balls back.

“Also the match was, I think, in my favour getting a little bit more physical. We played a lot of long rallies. I’m very happy how everything worked for me.”

Meanwhile, Joao Sousa won three tiebreakers in his 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 7-6(5) victory over 17th-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille.

The unseeded Portuguese will play Novak Djokovic or Richard Gasquet in his maiden fourth-round appearance at a major.

Earlier, Roger Federer’s 51 winners included a jaw-dropping flick around the net post as he swept aside Nick Kyrgios 6-4 6-1 7-5 to reach the fourth round in a 17th consecutive appearance in New York.

There he will face 55th-ranked John Millman after the Australian defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-4 4-6 6-1 6-3, to seal his first appearance in a Grand Slam second week.

Belgian 10th seed David Goffin saw off Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 6-1 7-6(4).