NEWS
Four Match Points Saved! Zverev Battles Through in Vienna
20-year-old Martin Landaluce pushes the German to his limits, but the two-time Grand Slam winner emerges victorious.
Alexander Zverev avoids a first-round exit at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna with a Herculean effort.
The two-time Grand Slam winner overcomes 20-year-old Spaniard Martin Landaluce (ATP-67.) after more than three hours of play and saving four match points, with a score of 7:5, 3:6, 7:6 (11).
The German thus keeps alive his chance to be crowned world No. 1 in tennis in Vienna. To do so, he would have to reach the quarterfinals in the Wiener Stadthalle. On his way there, he will face either Tallon Griekspoor (NED) or Brandon Nakashima (USA).
A Break Decides the First Set
The match starts perfectly for the German. Already in the third game, Zverev gets the first break. But 20-year-old Landaluce stays close and can equalize with his first break chance.
Just as everything was heading for a tie-break, Zverev turns it up again and secures the decisive break to win the set.
Landaluce Furious in Second Set
Landaluce starts the second set furiously. The young Spaniard immediately takes a 3-0 lead, Zverev cannot recover from this and loses the second set without a single break point opportunity.
The third set develops into a thriller. At 2-2, Zverev fends off a Landaluce break point, in the next game, the French Open and US Open winner leaves three break opportunities unconverted.
With the score at 6-5 in favor of the German and Landaluce serving, two chances for victory presented themselves, but the Spaniard successfully saved both match points.
Thriller in the Tie-break
In the tie-break, the thriller finally intensifies.
Landaluce storms to a 5-2 lead, but with three consecutive points, Zverev levels at 5-5. The soon-to-be world No. 1 successfully saves a match point at 5-6, but at 7-6, he cannot close out the game himself.
At 8-8, Landaluce manages a mini-break with a smash while running back, but on his own serve, he squanders another match point. At 11-11, Landaluce hits the ball out after a net attack, and shortly after, Zverev serves out for the match win.
