Tiafoe Ends Zverev's Winning Streak

American wild card Frances Tiafoe recorded the biggest win of his career – and only his second Top 50 victory – on Wednesday to stop in-form fellow #NextGenATP player Alexander Zverev at the Western & Southern Open.

The World No. 87 ended the 10-match winning streak of Zverev, currently at a career-high No. 7 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on mid-afternoon in Cincinnati.

Zverev had previously won 28 of his past 29 best-of-three-set matches when winning the first set, but in clutch situations – Wednesday – it was 19-year-old Tiafoe who found a way to complete just his fifth tour-level victory of 2017. Tiafoe played with power and invention to capitalise on Zverev’s fatigue and open up a 3-0 lead in the second set, before growing in confidence for a third-round clash against compatriot John Isner.

Tiafoe is hoping to join Zverev as a qualifier at the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals, to be held in Milan from 7-11 November, by moving up from his current position of No. 9 in the Emirates ATP Race To Milan for a spot at the eight-player 21-and-under event.

Zverev, a winner of five ATP World Tour titles this year, came into the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament on the back of two straight hard-court crowns at the Citi Open (d. Anderson) and last week’s Coupe Rogers (d. Federer). The 20-year-old German is now 47-14 on the season (21-7 on hard courts).

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Two other #NextGenATP players, Russian Karen Khachanov and American Jared Donaldson, also booked their spots in the third round.

Khachanov reached the third round of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament for the first time in beating lucky loser Thomas Fabbiano 6-2, 6-2 in 72 minutes. The Russian No. 1 now meets Japan’s Yuichi Sugita, who defeated qualifier Joao Sousa 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-1.

Donaldson withstood 12 aces and the serve-volley game of Indian lucky loser Ramkumar Ramanathan 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in just under two hours for a meeting against Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili, a 6-3, 6-3 victor over lucky loser Christian Harrison.