French Open 2022: Alexander Zverev into fourth round after topsy-turvy win over Brandon Nakashima
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Updated 27/05/2022 at 20:48 GMT
After surviving a five-set epic against Sebastien Baez in the second round, it was a much more straightforward evening for Alexander Zverev on Friday as he overcame the world No. 75 in straight sets on Court Suzanne-Lenglen. Zverev reached the semi-finals of the French Open last year but has only ever reached the final of a Grand Slam once in his career and that was the US Open in 2020.
Highlights: Zverev overcomes Nakashima to move into round four at Roland-Garros
Alexander Zverev is through to the fourth round of the French Open after a topsy-turvy 7-6(2) 6-3 7-6(5) win over American Brandon Nakashima .
Zverev, who is bidding to win his first ever Grand Slam title, will play Spanish qualifier Bernabe Zapata Miralles, who overcame John Isner in five sets earlier on Friday, in the next round.
Nakashima started brightly and earned himself two break points on Zverev's opening service game, but the German was able to rescue both and the pair battled to a tie-break.
Zverev won it comfortably, breaking the Nakashima serve four times to take a commanding lead.
Nakashima retained his composure in the second set but it was the fourth game where he would be broken. On Zverev's third break point of the game, he capitalised with a fine backhand winner down the line.
The American did just enough to save two break points in the very next game, but the break advantage ultimately saw Zverev take a two-set lead.
There was a flashpoint early on in the third set when Zverev got into a dispute with the umpire over a court marking, with the boisterous crowd siding with the official, but the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion was able to keep calm.
Moments later Zverev and Nakashima could not hide their smiles when the umpire could not control a Mexican wave in the crowd.
Nakashima continued to pull Zverev around the court and it looked as though German got the decisive breakthrough with another backhand winner. But a gutsy Nakashima instantly broke back in the next game.
Neither player was even able to register a break point after that and the tie-break was almost inevitable. Nakashima looked to the heavens after a double fault on the opening point handed Zverev a mini-break, but he fought back by winning the next three points.
Zverev showed all his experience to come back from 4-2 down by winning five of next six points and finished the match off with a fine backhand winner.
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