ATP Basel: Alexander Zverev fails to kick off Taylor Fritz
Alexander Zverev has lost his first-round appearance at the ATP 500 in Basel on Tuesday. Germany's number one defeated the American Taylor Fritz after 1:24 hours with 6: 7 (7), 4: 6. So far, Zverev had won his two previous duels with Fritz.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Oct 22, 2019, 06:46 pm
Zverev must continue to wait for his qualification for the year-end tournament of the Top 8 of the ATP ranking in London in November. Last year, he crowned himself champion there. In the current race, he is in seventh place, Matteo Berrettini (playing in Vienna), Roberto Bautista-Agut, David Goffin and Fabio Fognini (all Basel) can do well this week on the Germans.
For Zverev, who reached the final less than two weeks ago at the Masters tournament in Shanghai, it was the first kick-off run since the Masters in Cincinnati in mid-August.
In the first set only Fritz had to fend off a single breakball in the third game. In the tiebreak Zverev was already 4-0 ahead, but Fritz fought back and turned with an ace the second set ball to 9: 7.
Fritz took the momentum in the second round, broke Zverev to 2: 1 and were subsequently only three points at their own serve from. He will meet Alex de Minaur in the second round from Basel.