Alexander Zverev edges out Tallon Griekspoor to advance to the Round of 16 in Shanghai - UBITENNIS

Alexander Zverev edges out Tallon Griekspoor to advance to the Round of 16 in Shanghai

By sampaolo
7 Min Read

Alexander Zverev battled past Tallon Griekspoor 7-6 (8-6) 2-6 7-6 (7-5) after 2 hours and 50 minutes in a hard-fought third round match to advance to the Round of 16 at the Shanghai Rolex Masters. 

Zverev survived the scare sealing the win on his eighth match point extending his lead to 5-1 in his head-to-head matches against Griekspoor. 

Zverev saved three break points in the second game of the second set. Zverev went up a mini-break twice to take a 3-1 lead. Griekspoor pulled back on serve each time to draw level to draw level to 3-3. Zverev earned his third mini-break to win the tie-break 7-5. 

Griekspoor raced out to a 5-0 lead with three breaks of serve. Zverev pulled one of the three breaks back at love in the sixth game and held serve for 2-5. Griekspoor served out the second set with a hold at 15. The Dutch player hit just two unforced errors to level the match at one set apiece. 

Griekspoor saved eight break points, four of which were match points in the 12th game of the third set to force the match to the tie-break. Zverev raced out to a 6-2 lead earning four more match points. Zverev did not convert his fifth match points after an unforced error. Griekspoor fended off two more match points with two big serves. Zverev closed out the win on his eighth match point. 

Zverev hit 11 aces and won 74% of his first serve points. 

“It was a tough match, going back and forth. I thought he was a bit lucky during the third set and I got very lucky in the tie-break, so we equalled each other out. It was an incredible match. Tallon  is someone that I always struggle against. We always extremely tough matches, and, for me, he should be a lot higher ranked than he is. He needs to look at why he is not playing like that every single week. He could be top 15”, said Zverev. 

Zverev set up a Round of 16 match against David Goffin, who came back from one set down to beat Marcos Giron 1-6 6-3 7-5 after 2 hours and 13 minutes. Goffin has reached the Round of 16 at a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time since Madrid 2022. The Belgian player beat Lorenzo Musetti in the previous round. 

Giron converted his third break point in the second game of the opening set to take a 2-0 lead. The US player saved two break points in the third game before earning a double break to race out to a 4-0 lead. He served out the first set on his fourth set point.

Goffin broke for the first time in the match in the eighth game of the second set to win the second set 6-3. Goffin converted his fourth break point in the eighth game to win the second set 6-3 levelling the match at one set apiece. 

Goffin earned an early break in the first game of the  set to open up a 4-2 lead. Giron broke back in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4. Goffin broke for the second time in the 11th game and served out the win on his first match point. 

Goffin hit 31 winners and won 69% of his first serve points

Holger Rune beats Jiri Lehecka 6-4 7-5 to reach the Round of 16. 

The first set went on serve until the ninth game when Rune earned his first break to take a 5-4 lead. Rune served out the first set 6-4 with a hold at 15. The Danish player broke serve at 15 in the 11th game and served out the win on his third match point. 

Roman Safiulin came back from one set and a break down to beat Frances Tiafoe 5-7 7-5 7-6 (7-5) after 3 hours and 4 minutes. Safiulin set up a Round of 16 match against Novak Djokovic, who beat Flavio Cobolli 6-1 6-2. 

Safiulin saved a break point in the third game of the first set to hold serve for 2-1. Tiafoe broke serve in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead and served out the opening set with a hold at 15. 

Tiafoe converted his second break point in the first game  to take a 1-0 lead in the second set. Safiulin broke back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Tiafoe saved four break points to hold serve after four deuces in the sixth game. Safiulin fended off three break points in the ninth game to hold serve for 5-4 before breaking serve on his second set point to win the second set 7-5 forcing the match to the third set. Safiulin broke serve in the fourth game of the third set to take a 3-1 lead. 

Rune broke back in the ninth game and held serve to 15 to draw level to 5-5. Safiulin went up a mini-break twice in the tie-break, but Rune pulled back on serve each time to draw level to draw level to 5-5. Safiulin earned his third mini-break to seal the decisive tie-break 7-5. 

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