Miami Open: Alexander Zverev continues without any problems, Sinner fends off 5 match balls
Alexander Zverev (ATP No. 4) reached the round of 16 at the Miami Open without any major problems. Jannik Sinner had a lot more work to do.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit: Mar 28, 2022, 07:09 am
Zverev won 6: 2, 6: 2 against the American Mackenzie McDonald.
The Hamburger hardly had any problems during the match, created break chances in each of his opponent's six service games and used four of them; he himself had to fend off a break chance from McDonald.
"I'm just happy to find my rhythm a bit," said Zverev afterwards with relief. It was crucial against McDonald to play long, because otherwise he would move up to the net, Zverev continued to say. "So you have to take that away from him. And that worked out well."
At the start, Zverev had won against Borna Coric, but needed three sets there.
Zverev now meets Thanasi Kokkinakis, who had a lot more work to do in the 7: 6 (5), 4: 6, 7: 6 (5) against Denis Kudla.
Kokkinakis had recently come back from long injury problems and surprisingly celebrated his first ATP tournament victory in Adelaide.
Jannik Sinner fights a duel against Kyrgios
Jannik Sinner continues to struggle hard in Miami: After saving three match points in his opening match against Emil Ruusuvuori, the Italian now had a total of five match points against him in the game against Pablo Carreno Busta - in the end he still won 5: 7, 7: 5, 7:5.
Sinner had to fend off the first match point against himself at 4: 5 in the second round on his own serve, after which he scored eleven points in a row to equalize the set. In the third round he was already 2:4 behind, made the rebreak to make it 4:5 and had to defuse four of Carreno Busta's chances to win on his own serve. Then he managed the match-deciding break.
The reward: a round of 16 matchup against Nick Kyrgios , who has so far presented himself at his best with relaxed victories against Andrey Rublev and Fabio Fognini.
Here is the individual tableau in Miami
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