Rising-star Alexander Zverev required exactly an hour to defeat Russia’s Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-3, in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters.
The world No.53 got off to the perfect start against the inconsistent Rublev as he raced to a 4-0 lead before sealing the first set after 23 minutes of play. The German did at times experience trouble against Rublev, but capitalized on the crucial points, saving 4/4 break points.
Watch: A great choice of shot from #Zverev. He opens the court up, then hits a looping FH. https://t.co/0kjW9S7D3t https://t.co/pwGlSdHfYv
— TennisTV (@TennisTV) 11 April 2016
To the relief of the crowd in Monte Carlo, Zverev’s one-sided dominance from the opening set disappeared at the start of the second with the first six games of the set going to serve. There was still no sign of Zverev succumbing to an unlikely comeback with the German continuing to boss Rublev around the court. A deep forehand return at 4-3, rewarded Zverev with a double chance to break to extend the lead to 5-3. He broke with ease after completing a well constructed rally with a forehand slice at the net. Serving the match out, the youngest player ranked inside the top-60 clinched the win after error No.23 came off Rublev’s racket.
Despite the straight sets win, Zverev’s performance was far from clean with his winner-error ratio standing at 14-22. In addition, the World No.52 also won 88% of his first serves and 58% of his second.
The triumph has booked Zverev a second round showdown against Spain’s David Ferrer. The 18-year-old will be bidding to grab his third win over a top-20 player this year after defeating Gilles Simon (twice) and Marin Cilic earlier this year.
Another early winner in Monte Carlo was British No.2 Aljaz Bedene after he defeated Lukas Rosol 6-2, 6-3. The world No.60 broke the Czech four times in the match (twice in each set) to seal the 63-minute win. Next up for Bedene will be the formidable Rafael Nadal. Nadal, who is the fifth seed, has won the Monte Carlo title a record-breaking eight times.
