Paolo Lorenzi has experienced virtually every emotion you can in the past week. On Friday, Jiri Vesely beat the Italian 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(2) in a grinding three hours and 34 minutes to reach the main draw. For the 37-year-old, it was unclear if that might have been his last opportunity to reach the main draw at a major.

But on Saturday, as he was participating in an exhibition with countryman Matteo Berrettini, Lorenzi found out he would gain entry as a lucky loser following Kevin Anderson’s withdrawal. His opponent: 16-year-old American wild card Zachary Svajda, who had never played a tour-level match.

As great as an opportunity as it appeared, Lorenzi fell behind by two sets against the home favourite, who had the crowd firmly in his corner. And to make it even tougher, less than four months from his 38th birthday, Lorenzi had never overcome a two-set deficit.

“I didn’t play my best tennis. At the beginning I was tight and I was missing a lot of balls,” Lorenzi said. “Then I was just trying to be focussed to play a little bit better.”

The good news was that the 21-time ATP Challenger Tour champion’s heartbreak came in handy. Although his defeat against Vesely was tough, it had proven to the veteran that he was physically fit to go the distance.

“I played [more than] three hours and 30 minutes and I had no problem,” Lorenzi said. “So I knew if the match was going on, I had a good feeling because my body was great after Friday and today was great again. I knew that I was in good shape.”

Lorenzi has also enjoyed plenty of success at this tournament, earning his best major result two years ago by making the Round of 16 before losing in four tough sets against eventual finalist Kevin Anderson. In that match, he battled hard to come from two sets down, but could not quite force the decider. On Monday, Lorenzi won a fourth-set tie-break to push Svajda to a fifth, and was able to finish off his comeback.

“Many times I was fighting and two years ago when I lost the fourth round against Kevin I was two sets down, then two sets to one and I lost… in the fourth set,” Lorenzi said. “This time I won the tie-break and maybe that for me was a good experience.”

It’s been a whirlwind for Lorenzi, the World No. 135. But the 37-year-old would rather have it no other way.

“I love to play tennis. Of course also Friday when I lost 7-6 in the third, I was still happy with my performance. I was happy to be here and playing tennis,” Lorenzi said. “Of course when you win these matches you are happier. But I love to play tennis and that’s why I’m still here.”

Did You Know?
Lorenzi played a 16-year-old in the first round, has practised several times since arriving in New York with 18-year-old Jannik Sinner, and he will face 19-year-old Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round.

Top seed and defending Novak Djokovic is undefeated in US Open second-round matches (13-0), but Argentine Juan Ignacio Londero will look to change that on Wednesday in New York. Third seed and five-time US Open champion Roger Federer, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev and seventh seed Kei Nishikori also headline a busy Day 3 schedule.

Londero won his first ATP Tour title this February in Cordoba (d. Garin), but his recent Top 30 win over Matteo Berrettini at the Western & Southern Open showed he can excel on all surfaces. However, the World No. 1 from Serbia is a much taller order, particularly at Grand Slams. Djokovic is 51-2 in second-round matches at Grand Slams since the 2006 Australian Open and has won 34 of his past 35 matches at majors.

Djokovic also has history on his mind this fortnight. He’s aiming for his 17th Grand Slam crown, which would put him within one title of second-placed Nadal (18) and inching closer to all-time leader Federer (20).

“It’s still a very long way ahead of me. It does also put a certain level of responsibility to me as well because I am aiming to do that. It’s definitely one of my ambitions and goals,” said Djokovic. “I am 32, so things are a little bit different than they were 10 years ago, but I still feel young inside and outside. I am still very motivated to keep going.”

Federer continues his 19th US Open campaign against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur. The Swiss is also undefeated (18-0) in second-round matches in New York, but being stretched to four sets by Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal in his opening round on Monday showed that his opponents believe records are meant to be broken. Federer will take comfort in his 2-0 lead over Dzumhur in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry, dropping just 16 games in the six sets they’ve played.

“This is probably the best I’ve felt in years coming into the US Open again, which is encouraging,” said Federer. “It’s going to be a tough tournament to win, no doubt about it. I feel like I’m part of that group who can do it.”

Who will win the latest @FedEx ATP Head2Head clash between these players?#USOpen

— ATP Tour (@ATP_Tour) August 28, 2019

Medvedev looks to continue his top-form against Bolivian Hugo Dellien. The Russian is coming off the best three-week run of his career, winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati (d. Goffin) and finishing runner-up at the Coupe Rogers (l. to Nadal) and Citi Open (l. to Kyrgios). Although Medvedev downplayed himself as a favourite to win this year, pointing out that he’s never reached a Grand Slam quarter-final, that could change if he keeps up his current level.

“These [past] three weeks, I basically didn’t have any downs. I had only great matches,” said Medvedev. “Hopefully I can bring this confidence on the court for two weeks or more.”

Nishikori takes on American Bradley Klahn, who looks to reach the third round at a Grand Slam for the first time. The Japanese spent only 47 minutes on court in his opening round on Monday before Argentine Marco Trungelliti retired due to injury, which could aid in keeping him fresh as the tournament progresses. But after opening-round exits in Montreal and Cincinnati, the seventh seed will be seeking a full match and a tough test against Klahn to gauge his level.

Other notable second-round matches on Wednesday include former US Open champion and No. 23 seed Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland taking on Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, No. 12 seed Borna Coric of Croatia facing Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, and No. 15 seed David Goffin of Belgium squaring off with Frenchman Gregoire Barrere.

ORDER OF PLAY – WEDNESDAY, 28 August 2019

Arthur Ashe Stadium start 12:00
WTA match
[2] Roger Federer vs Damir Dzumhur

NB 7:00 pm
Novak Djokovic vs Juan Ignacio Londero
WTA match

Louis Armstrong Stadium start 11:00
[7] Kei Nishikori vs Bradley Klahn
Two WTA matches

NB 7:00 pm
WTA match
[12] Borna Coric vs Grigor Dimitrov

Grandstand start 11:00
WTA match
[5] Daniil Medvedev vs Hugo Dellien
[23] Stan Wawrinka vs Jeremy Chardy
WTA match

Court No. 17 start 11:00
Two WTA matches
[27] Dusan Lajovic vs Denis Kudla
Reilly Opelka vs Dominik Koepfer

Click here to view the schedule for all other courts.

If you’re hoping to ease your way into a Grand Slam, Thomas Fabbiano is not the man you want to face. Just one month after defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the opening round at Wimbledon, the Italian scored another first-round stunner at the US Open by defeating fourth-seeded Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

The upset in Arthur Ashe Stadium marked Thiem’s first opening-round exit in New York. The Austrian was considered by many to be a prime contender in New York after defeating Roger Federer this March for his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the BNP Paribas Open. 

Although Fabbiano was brave in attacking when he had opportunities and showed impressive defence, Thiem struggled to find his footing. The 25-year-old hit 17 winners to 28 unforced errors in the last two sets, with more than half of the mistakes coming from his normally reliable backhand wing.

“I got very, very tired and exhausted after two sets. I’m far away from 100 per cent. Like this, it’s very tough to win,” said Thiem. “I went on court because in tennis, especially in long two-week tournaments, anything can happen.”

After battling hard to level the match at one set apiece, the Austrian hit nine unforced errors in the first three games of the third set. Thiem was unable to recover from his slow start and Fabbiano went on to take a commanding advantage.

Sensing his opportunity, the Italian saved his best tennis for the final stages of the match. Fabbiano took advantage of Thiem standing well behind the baseline in rallies, predominately serving out wide and carving out short angles before successfully gambling on down-the-line winners. A forehand winner on match point saw Fabbiano raise his arms in triumph after two hours and 23 minutes.

Fabbiano continues to excel on big stages this season, with five of his 10 tour-level victories this year coming in Grand Slams. Awaiting the 30-year-old is Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan, who picked up his first US Open win by outlasting Colombian qualifier Santiago Giraldo 2-6, 6-0, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. The 21-year-old reached his first ATP Tour final last month in Newport (l. to Isner). 

John Isner scored a dominant win on Tuesday, firing 29 aces and 55 total winners to ease past Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. The No. 14 seed was equally impressive in his return games, racking up 14 break points and converting four to advance in one hour and 58 minutes. The American improves to 29-12 in New York and will now take on German Jan-Lennard Struff, who defeated #NextGenATP Norwegian Casper Ruud 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Struff defeated Tsitsipas earlier this month in Cincinnati.

Italian Lorenzo Sonego enjoyed an equally comfortable path to the second round with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Spaniard Marcel Granollers. The 24-year-old clinched his first ATP Tour crown this June in Antalya (d. Kecmanovic). Next up for Sonego is Spaniard Pablo Andujar, who earned his first Grand Slam win in four years by upsetting No. 30 seed Kyle Edmund 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.