ATP Madrid: Defending champion Zverev is fighting for the quarter-finals
Alexander Zverev (ATP 4) finds his way back to success in a fighting game in Madrid. The defending champion of the ATP Tour 1000 tournament defeated Poland's Hubert Hurkacz (ATP 52) 3: 6, 6: 4, 6: 4 in the round of 16.
by Robert M. Frank
last edit: May 09, 2019, 09:34 pm
Alexander Zverev averted an eighth-final loss to 22-year-old Poland's Hubert Hurkacz thanks to a good fighting stance. The defending champion of the Masters tournament in Madrid, however, had to shake a long time in the game of the ATP clay court tournament endowed with 7.28 million euros. Zverev, who acted very passively at times and made some unnecessary mistakes on the serve and during the rally, took three sets and two hours and nine minutes to win.
The native of Hamburg had to give up his first service game on the pitch "Pista Arantxa Sanchez" after a 0: 1. Zverev, who was number three in Madrid, managed the immediate rebreak. But after another loss of service by Zverev with two double errors, it was 1: 3 from the perspective of the reigning world champion. After Hurkacz brought his service through, Zverev no longer came close to the Poles and had to admit defeat 3: 6 in the first set.
Zverev got off to a good start in the second set but was unable to take advantage of his first two chances of breaking after the first lead in a set. As a result, the Madrid winner from 2018 was pushed back further and further behind the baseline and lost again after losing the service game to 3: 4. After that, the better-getting Zverev benefited from careless mistakes by the 22-year-old opponent from Wroclaw, made the turn after an immediate rebreak and won 6: 4.
Quarterfinals against Stefanos Tsitsipas
In the decisive third round, the two 22-year-olds fought a balanced duel with long rallies, with Hurkacz now getting stronger again with the first service game Zverevs one break ahead. However, the tide turned again in favor of Zverev, who now consistently took advantage of Hurkacz's creeping mistakes. It stayed balanced until the intermediate 4: 4 before Zverev pulled away with two games in a row.
While the three-time ATP Challenger winner Hurkacz has to pack his bags at his Madrid premiere, things go on for Zverev in Madrid in the quarter-finals. There the German number one meets the number eight Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas (ATP 9).