Alexander Zverev crushes John Millman to reach Australian Open third round

ByRichard Newman

Updated 19/01/2022 at 12:37 GMT

The third seed produced an imperious performance to beat the home favourite 6-4 6-4 6-0 to set up a tie with Radu Albot. Zverev was in control for most of the match but looked virtually unbeatable in the third set, unleashing what was described as a "masterclass" by commentators. Stream the 2022 Australian Open live and on demand on discovery+

Alexander Zverev outlined his Australian Open title credentials with a virtually flawless performance in beating John Millman 6-4 6-4 6-0 to reach the third round.

The Olympic champion was given a stern test early on with his Australian opponent buoyed by a partisan crowd, but the third seed produced some of his best tennis - particularly late in the match - to demonstrate why he is considered to be a serious contender to succeed Novak Djokovic as champion.

Zverev made an impressive start, breaking Millman in the opening game, before the home favourite hit back straight away. The German reasserted his early advantage in the third game with a break to 15 and consolidated that, before he eventually closed out the set.

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Despite admirable fight from Millman, the third seed was cruising and he broke again at the same point as the first set, going on to take a 3-1 lead and despite coming under pressure on serve in the eighth game, he saw out the set.

Now Zverev was beginning to deliver what Eurosport commentator and former British number one Jo Durie described as a “masterclass”, and he was showing a full range of shots as he took his opponent apart in the third set.

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He was in the zone and broke Millman in the opening game of the third set, but he was not giving anything on his serve either, rattling off successive games to take a 4-0 lead.

"I could really feel that you guys had been in lockdown for two years," Zverev said in his on court interview.

"It was an amazing atmosphere and hopefully it will stay the same and get even louder for the next few matches. I'm prepared that everybody will hate me after the match [because of facing an Australian].

"Sport needs the atmosphere, it needs the people, it doesn't matter if you're for me or against me. Spectators bring the emotions."

Zverev will take on Moldovan qualifier Radu Albot in the third round, an opponent who once reached the semi-finals of the US Open but is now ranked 124th in the world.

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