The late New York night brought heartbreak for Nuno Borges. The Portuguese player fell to American Tommy Paul in a grueling five-set battle at the US Open. It was the tennis season’s final major, and a true test of wills in Flushing Meadows.
The match wrapped up well past 1:30 AM local time, which was 6:30 AM in Lisbon. The opening set was a real see-saw affair. Tommy Paul, the world number 14, had three chances to snatch it. But Borges, ranked 42nd, dug deep. He forced a tie-break. The crowd held its breath as Borges even had a set point. Yet, Paul, a 28-year-old American, found a way. He closed out the first set 7-6, winning the tie-break 8-6.
Paul then completely flipped the script in the second set. He broke Borges’s serve three times. It looked like a quick night was in the cards, as Paul cruised to a 6-3 victory. This was a stark contrast to the top Portuguese player’s performance last year, when he reached the final sixteen at the US Open.
Most would have folded after being down two sets. But Borges, also 28, showed incredible fight. Paul even had two chances to finish the match right there. But the player from Maia refused to quit. He won the last three games of the third set, taking it 7-5. He kept pushing, despite seeming to have some physical issues. Borges broke Paul’s serve three more times. He then remarkably claimed the fourth set, again by a 7-5 score.
The fifth set started like Paul wanted to finish things fast. He grabbed the first three games. But Borges wasn’t done yet. He roared back, taking the next three. It was a true heavyweight contest. After four hours and 25 minutes of intense tennis, Paul found one last surge of energy. He broke Borges’s serve one final time. That sealed the match, 7-5 in the decider.
Paul now moves on to face Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan in the third round. Bublik, ranked 24th, defeated Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, on the same day. This year’s US Open will crown its champions by September 8th.