Arthur Rinderknech came back from one set down to beat Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-2 improving to 2-0 in his head-to-head matches against his German rival.
Rinderknech beat Zverev in five sets at Wimbledon earlier this year. The French player won 24 of his 29 points at net in the second and third sets.
Zverev saved three break points in the first game of the opening set before breaking Rinderknech in the third game with a forehand. Zverev served out the first set with a hold at 30 in the 10th game.
Rinderknech converted his fourth break point in the fourth game and held his serve at love to open up a 4-1 lead. The Frenchman served out with a hold a love in the ninth game.
Rimderknech broke in the third game of the decider to take a 2-1 lead and saved two break points to hold serve after two deuces.
Rinderknech earned a double break in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead after Zverev made a double fault. The French player served out the win on his first match point.
“This is huge. I had my first Top 5 win at a Grand Slam at Wimbledon against Sascha and it happens again. I guess I am a bit lucky against him and able to play my best tennis. I need to play my best tennis to beat a guy like Sascha, at No. 3 for many years, such a steady player and a very good player. I am very happy”, said Rinderknech.
Rinderknech will face Jiri Lehecka, who beat Denis Shapovalov 6-4 6-4. Lehecka reached the Round of 16 at six of the nine Masters 1000 tournaments.
Learner Tien, who lost to Jannik Sinner in the final of the China Open in Beijing, beat Cameron Norrie 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. Tien has won seven of his past eight matches reaching his first ATP Tour final in the Chinese capital last week.
Tien saved 8 of 10 break points in the match, including all six in the second set.
Tien broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Norrie broke straight back in the seventh game and saved a break point in the next game to hold serve for 4-4. Norrie earned his second break in the 11th game to take a 6-5 lead, but Tien broke straight back to draw level to 6-6. Tien went up two mini-breaks to earn four set points. Norrie pulled one mini-break back, but Tien sealed the tie-break 7-4 on his third set point.
Tien went up a break in the fifth game and held serve to take a 4-2 lead. The US player broke Norrie on his first match point in the ninth game to seal the second set 6-3.
Learner Tien: “I have a lot of confidence right now. I have been able to steal some matches where I have been down pretty big and that really feeds my confidence going into these matches, I can find a way through. I think that is the biggest thing.”
Tien set up a fourth round match against Danil Medvedev, who beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 7-6 (7-5). Medvedev won the Shanghai Masters 1000 title in 2019.
Medvedev broke serve in the second game and held serve at 30 to open up a 3-0 lead. Davidovich Fokina saved seven break points in the eighth game to hold serve at deuce for 3-5. Medvedev served out the first set 6-3 with a hold at love in the ninth game.
Both players went on serve in the second set en route to the tie-break. Medvedev earned five mini-breaks to win the tie-break 7-5.
Lorenzo Musetti beat Luciano Darderi 7-5 7-6 (7-1) in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Musetti set up a fourth round match against Felix Auger Aliassime.
Musetti saved a break point at deuce in the first game of the opening set. Darderi went down 15-40 in the fourth game to face two break points. Musetti converted his second break point to open up a 3-1 lead and held serve in the next game for 4-1. Darderi saved a break point in the sixth game before breaking back at 30 in the seventh game. Darderi saved a break point at deuce in the eighth game to hold serve for 4-4. Both players went on serve until the 11th game. Musetti broke serve on his third set point to close out the first set 7-5.
Darderi earned a break point in the third game to take a 2-1 lead, but Musetti broke straight back to draw level to 2-2. Musetti saved a break point in both the fifth and ninth games. Darderi did not convert three break points in the 11thgame.
Musetti earned three mini-breaks to close out the tie-break 7-1 on his first match point.
