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DPA
Paris
Third seed Alexander Zverev fought from two sets down and saved a match point to reach the third round of the French Open, 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 over Argentine Sebastian Baez on Wednesday.
Zverev overcame a disastrous start into the centre court match against his 36th-ranked opponent en route to victory in 3 hours 39 minutes.
The Olympic champion improved his remarkable five-set record at Roland Garros to 8-1 as he continues his hunt for a first career grand slam title.
Title holder and world number one Novak Djokovic also advanced, with far less trouble than Zverev, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) against Slovakia’s Alex Molcan.
Zverev finally got into the match when he trailed by a set and 4-0, saving three break points in the fifth game. He could not quite salvage the set but roared through the third and fourth to force a decider.
There he trailed 4-2 but broke back immediately and tied at 4-4.
Trailing 5-4, he faced matchpoint but saved it with a serve Baez returned wide.
Zverev held, broke Baez for 6-5 and then served out the match, winning on first match point when another return from Baez went wide.
“I couldn’t have played worse in the beginning. You always have to find a way to win these matches. I am happy to still be in the tournament,” Zverev said on court.
The German also heaped praise on Baez, saying: “He is an unbelievable great kid and he will do a lot of great things in the future.”
Was ‘planning a holiday’, says Alexander
Zverev said he was planning a holiday when he found himself two sets down to Baez.
Baez was on the verge of a huge win on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but Zverev roared back to win. It was the third time the German had come from two sets down to secure a victory, having done so at the 2019 US Open semi-finals and at the 2021 French Open.
Zverev, who saved match point in the 10th game of the final set, claims he was thinking about being on the beach when he was on the ropes at Roland Garros.
“I couldn’t have played any worse [at the start], I just tried to find a rhythm and did that. I’m happy still being in the tournament right now,” he said.
“I was planning my holiday in Monaco, where I was going to go and who I was going to with and that relaxed me, thinking about the beach.
“You just have to find a way. You talk about mental strength and the greats, like Rafa [Nadal], Roger [Federer] and Novak [Djokovic], they always find a way. I will never be at their level, but I’m trying to get closer to them.”
Zverev will next face Brandon Nakashima, who has reached the third round in a Grand Slam for the first time on his debut in Paris.
Paris
Third seed Alexander Zverev fought from two sets down and saved a match point to reach the third round of the French Open, 2-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 over Argentine Sebastian Baez on Wednesday.
Zverev overcame a disastrous start into the centre court match against his 36th-ranked opponent en route to victory in 3 hours 39 minutes.
The Olympic champion improved his remarkable five-set record at Roland Garros to 8-1 as he continues his hunt for a first career grand slam title.
Title holder and world number one Novak Djokovic also advanced, with far less trouble than Zverev, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) against Slovakia’s Alex Molcan.
Zverev finally got into the match when he trailed by a set and 4-0, saving three break points in the fifth game. He could not quite salvage the set but roared through the third and fourth to force a decider.
There he trailed 4-2 but broke back immediately and tied at 4-4.
Trailing 5-4, he faced matchpoint but saved it with a serve Baez returned wide.
Zverev held, broke Baez for 6-5 and then served out the match, winning on first match point when another return from Baez went wide.
“I couldn’t have played worse in the beginning. You always have to find a way to win these matches. I am happy to still be in the tournament,” Zverev said on court.
The German also heaped praise on Baez, saying: “He is an unbelievable great kid and he will do a lot of great things in the future.”
Was ‘planning a holiday’, says Alexander
Zverev said he was planning a holiday when he found himself two sets down to Baez.
Baez was on the verge of a huge win on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but Zverev roared back to win. It was the third time the German had come from two sets down to secure a victory, having done so at the 2019 US Open semi-finals and at the 2021 French Open.
Zverev, who saved match point in the 10th game of the final set, claims he was thinking about being on the beach when he was on the ropes at Roland Garros.
“I couldn’t have played any worse [at the start], I just tried to find a rhythm and did that. I’m happy still being in the tournament right now,” he said.
“I was planning my holiday in Monaco, where I was going to go and who I was going to with and that relaxed me, thinking about the beach.
“You just have to find a way. You talk about mental strength and the greats, like Rafa [Nadal], Roger [Federer] and Novak [Djokovic], they always find a way. I will never be at their level, but I’m trying to get closer to them.”
Zverev will next face Brandon Nakashima, who has reached the third round in a Grand Slam for the first time on his debut in Paris.
