Zverev Stuns Wawrinka In Miami

#NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev knocked out top seed Stan Wawrinka on Tuesday at the Miami Open presented by Itau to advance to his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 quarter-final. The 19-year-old Zverev came back from a set down and ran away with the fourth-round contest, winning 12 of the final 15 games to claim victory 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 in one hour and 44 minutes.

“I had to be aggressive. I felt like he was the one controlling all the points all the time, so I had to change that. It worked out well for me. Happy to be in the quarter-finals now. Hopefully I can play as great as I did today,” Zverev said.

The German was nearly untouchable on his serve. He saved four of five break points and won almost 75 per cent of his service points, including 68 per cent of his second-serve offerings. Zverev also broke Wawrinka five times – all in the last two sets.

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He improves to 2-0 against Wawrinka in their FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry. Zverev won their first contest last September for his maiden title at the St. Petersburg Open. “Both times I played him I played [with] very high confidence and I played very well,” Zverev said. “I think we both have one of the best backhands on tour, both of us, so that maybe helps me a little bit. He likes to use that corner a lot on the opponent.”

For a berth in his first Masters 1000 semi-final, Zverev will face Aussie Nick Kyrgios, who hit 12 aces to beat Belgian David Goffin 7-6(5), 6-3 in one hour and 37 minutes. Kyrgios improves to 2-0 against Goffin in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, having also beaten the right-hander in the Tokyo final last year.

The 21-year-old Kyrgios saved both break points faced and broke the 26-year-old right-hander once. Goffin, serving at 1-2 in the second set, had erased four break points in the game but netted a forehand on the fifth break chance to give Kyrgios a 3-1 lead. The game lasted 26 points and more than 13 minutes.

Kyrgios’ quarter-final against Zverev will be a rematch of their third-round contest at the BNP Paribas Open earlier this month. Kyrgios took that FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, their first, 6-3, 6-4.

The opportunity marks quite the turnaround for Zverev, who was inches away from losing on Monday and heading home. The 6’6″ right-hander had to save three match points against American John Isner to escape to the fourth round. “I had to use the opportunity. I knew I got a second chance in this tournament, so I’m really happy that I used it,” Zverev said.

Wawrinka had been in top form before their fourth-round showdown. The Swiss right-hander hadn’t dropped a set in South Florida and was coming off his maiden final run at the BNP Paribas Open last week. “One bad game to start the second set and then it was tough for me,” Wawrinka said. “I completely went down physically and mentally, and also my tennis was completely out. I had no more gas.”