World number 3 Alexander Zverev beat French Next Gen player Arthur Fils 6-4 3-6 6-3 in an epic third round match to reach the quarter final at the Paris Rolex Masters.
Zverev saved a break point in the second game at deuce to hold serve. The 2021 Olympic gold medallist converted his second break point in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead and served out the first set at 30.
Fils earned a break at love in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead. The Frenchman saved a break point to hold serve at 4-1 and served out at love in the ninth game.
Zverev earned the decisive break in the fourth game of the third set and held serve to 15 to race out to a 4-1 lead. The German player fired 16 aces and saved three break points when he was serving for the match and sealed the win on his second match point.
“The atmosphere here is a lot louder than at Roland Garros. It is crazy. It feels the court is smaller and the crowd is on top of you. It is like an indoor atmosphere as well. It is something we don’t get a lot on Tour but I love it. I love to play in Paris”, said Zverev.
Alex De Minaur came back from one set down to beat this year’s US Open semifinalist Jack Draper 5-7 6-2 6-3 ending the British player’s seven match winning streak.
Draper broke for the second time in the 12th game to win the first set 7-5. De Minaur earned two breaks to win a one-sided second set 6-2. De Minaur started the third set with a break in the first game. Draper broke serve in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. De Minaur won four of the final five games to clinch the third set 7-5.
“It took every ounce from me in the middle of the tournament, that’s not in my DNA. Obviously I am super stoked with the win today,but I will keep on doing my best and keep on trying to win more matches”, said De Minaur.
Despite the defeat Draper will rise to a career-high of world number 14 after winning two matches in Paris against Jiri Lehecka and Taylor Fritz. Draper beat De Minaur en route to the US Open semifinal. The British player won his first title in Stuttgart and became the fourth British player in history since 2009 to win an AP 500 title with his win in Vienna.
