Zhang Battles Past Former Champ Ivashka In Winston-Salem

Zhang Zhizhen overcame fierce resistance from Ilya Ivashka to notch a first-round victory Sunday at the Winston-Salem Open.

The World No. 62 Zhang prevailed 4-6, 7-6(7), 6-2 against Ivashka on his debut at the hard-court ATP 250 in North Carolina. The Chinese kept his cool impressively despite letting slip 11 set points in a remarkable second set, ultimately claiming it in a tie-break before accelerating through the decider for a two-hour, 22-minute victory.

“It was a very tough match,” said Zhang in his on-court interview. “At the beginning he was playing very well. Even though he lost the second set in the end he was fighting back, and I’m just happy to survive in the end.”

Ivashka lifted his only ATP Tour title in Winston-Salem in 2021 and came out confidently in Sunday’s clash at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex. However, despite dropping the opening set and repeatedly failing to close out the second, Zhang assumed control of the match. Ivashka fended off eight set points alone to hold for 5-5 in the second set but Zhang’s persistence ultimately told.

“I think in the first set I was playing too rushed. In the second set I was a little bit more patient, so I tried to take the match longer, so I would have a chance,” said Zhang. “I thought if the match went long, then I had a chance for sure, so I just tried to play as long as I could and see.”

After outhitting Ivashka by 36 winners to 30, Zhang’s next test in North Carlolina is a second-round clash with 14th seed Marton Fucsovics.

Other winners on Day 1 in Winston-Salem included Benjamin Bonzi and Juan Manuel Cerundolo. Bonzi defeated his fellow Frenchman Alexandre Muller 6-4, 6-4 to advance to face third seed Sebastian Korda, while Argentina’s Cerundolo held off Roman Safiullin 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3. He next plays 10th seed Yannick Hanfmann.