When Alexander Zverev converted his third match point after 140 minutes to seal a 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (5) victory over British qualifier Jacob Fearnley (ATP 81), the Hamburg native raised his arms in celebration. The nearly two and a half hours before that had been a real rollercoaster for the world No. 3 – something no one would have expected after the first set.
In the opening set, Zverev fully lived up to his role as favorite, securing an early break that was enough to take the set. But in the second, his rhythm suddenly disappeared. Fearnley turned the match around completely, racing to a 5-0 lead before Zverev finally managed to get on the scoreboard. It was too little, too late for a comeback.
In the deciding set, Zverev regained control on serve, while Fearnley saved the only break point he faced. The match ultimately went to a tiebreak, where Zverev quickly took a mini-break lead and earned his first match point at 6-3. Fearnley saved the first two, but the third one sealed it – and Zverev could finally celebrate his place in the round of 16. There, he will face another qualifier: Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi, on Thursday.
Musetti in command
Fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti had no trouble in his first-round appearance, defeating Serbian lucky loser Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-3. The Italian now meets Tomas Martin Etcheverry of Argentina in the round of 16.
