Read & Watch: Zverev Routs Felix, Surges Forward In Race To London

Alexander Zverev leapfrogged into 10^th place in the ATP Race To London – two away from the eighth and final qualification spot – on Thursday with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win against Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime at the China Open in Beijing.

The reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion played confidently and showed clear thinking all match to reach his ninth quarter-final of the season at the ATP 500.

Zverev broke in the fifth game of the opener when Auger-Aliassime lifted a backhand long. The German finished the set with a drop shot on approach.

Auger-Aliassime, who’s close to qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan, gathered momentum by erasing a break point in his opening service game of the second set. But Zverev never let the 19-year-old into the match, stepping into the court and pinning the Canadian behind the baseline to break twice more.

Zverev is looking to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the third consecutive season. The German beat Novak Djokovic in the 2018 final for the biggest title of his career.

Zverev currently has 2,165 points in the Race, only 15 points behind ninth-placed Kei Nishikori of Japan (2,180) and 20 points behind eighth-placed Matteo Berrettini of Italy (2,185). Zverev can add 45 more points to his tally and slide into eighth place by beating American Sam Querrey and making the semi-finals.

Querrey showed impressive resolve, fighting past Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman 7-6(2), 6-7(3), 6-3. Querrey served for the second set at 5-4 but recovered in the third to make his first quarter-final since July at Wimbledon.

In their lone FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, Zverev beat Querrey at the 2017 Laver Cup in Prague 6-4, 6-4.