The US Open came to an unfortunate end for professional tennis player Oscar Otte.

The qualifier from Cologne had to admit defeat to Italian Matteo Berrettini 4: 6, 6: 3, 3: 6, 2: 6 in the round of 16 on Monday (local time).

Otte injured his right flapping hand in the fourth set and was only able to continue playing with great pain.

"The hand hurts a lot," said Otte after the game at Eurosport.

The all-clear had been given at the X-ray.

"There was no clear fracture to be seen, but at home I should have an MRI done right away so that I can see a little more - or hopefully less."

After Otte's departure, there is only one German in New York in Alexander Zverev.

The Olympic champion had previously prevailed against the Italian Jannik Sinner 6: 4, 6: 4, 7: 6 (9: 7) and will now meet Lloyd Harris from South Africa in the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Djokovic with few problems

Then it could come to the highly anticipated duel with Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.

The world number one from Serbia won his round of 16 against the American Jenson Brooksby 1: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2, 6: 2 and only had a few problems at the beginning.

The 34-year-old will now face Berrettini in the quarter-finals.

Otte also showed a strong performance against Berrettini and kept the Wimbledon finalists in trouble.

At the score of 1: 1, 15:15 in the fourth set, the Cologne man then suffered a mishap.

Otte ran an overhead ball backwards, but then stumbled and fell on his right hand when landing.

The 28-year-old, who came as a complete surprise to the round of 16 in New York, then had to be treated on the pitch and was also given a painkiller.

Otte was able to continue playing and even won the service game.

But the injury to the batting hand impaired him significantly, so that Berrettini had an easy game in the end.

"Of course, the end was not as I had imagined," said Otte after the game before the scheduled departure on Tuesday.

With his 15th victory in a row, Olympic champion Zverev previously reached the quarter-finals.

The 24-year-old from Hamburg won against the South Tyrolean Sinner 6: 4, 6: 4, 7: 6 (9: 7) after a nerve-wracking exchange of blows, especially in the third set.

"I'm happy about where I am now and how things have gone over the past few months," said Zverev.

"Now I'm in the quarter-finals and from now on the matches won't be easier."

In the fight for a place in the semi-finals, the world number four will meet Lloyd Harris on Wednesday, who prevailed against the American Reilly Opelka in four sets. "He's playing incredibly at the moment and shows a very high level," said Zverev about his next opponent. For him it was the 15th success in a row after the gold medal in Tokyo and the title in Cincinnati. In Cincinnati he had last won in straight sets against Harris. In an interview on the square, Zverev joked that he cuddles with his gold medal every night. "I don't know, I don't have a girlfriend, I don't have anyone next to me, that's why the gold medal sleeps next to me."

Two days after the turbulent match against Jack Sock, when Zverev lost the first round and benefited from the American's injury-related task at 3: 6, 6: 2, 6: 3, 2: 1, he fought against the 20-year-old Italians took five set balls in the third round and converted the first match point after 2:25 hours. "It is important to always find a way and today I found a way," said Zverev on the TV channel Eurosport.