Zverev Survives Shenzhen Opener

Alexander Zverev battled through a testing opening match at the Shenzhen Open on Thursday evening, edging Steve Darcis 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(5) in two hours and 48 minutes. “I’m just happy to go through. I was down a break in both sets and it’s good to win those matches,” said the German, who is closing in on a spot at the season-ending Nitto ATP Finals. 

Looking to defeat Zverev for the second time this year, Darcis twice put himself in a strong position to win the match. After securing the first set with a break in the third game, the Belgian served for the match at 6-5 in the second set, but could not get to match point as Zverev fought back to level. The 33-year-old Darcis then served for a 5-3 advantage in the decider, but Zverev converted his fourth break point in a lengthy game, and went on to prevail in the eventual tie-break.

The 20-year-old Zverev was playing his first tour-level match since a shock second-round loss at the US Open (l. to Coric). This week, Zverev resumes his campaign to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals for the first time. The right-hander, who has won two ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles this season in Rome and Montreal, is currently third in the Emirates ATP Race To London. On Friday he will play in-form Damir Dzumhur in the quarter-finals.

Last week’s St. Petersburg champion Dzumhur extended his winning streak to seven matches after a beating Slovakian qualifier Lukas Lacko 6-4, 6-3 in a match in which he did not face a break point. The 25-year-old from Bosnia & Herzegovina is at a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of 40 and has won 15 of his past 18 matches since reaching the Los Cabos semi-finals in the first week of August.

Israel’s Dudi Sela upset third seed Mishca Zverev 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 in one hour and 46 minutes, breaking serve three times and winning 72 per cent of his service points.The No. 77-ranked Sela is bidding to reach his first ATP World Tour semi-final since the first week of the season in Chennai (l. to Medvedev) and goes on to face fifth seed Alexandr Dolgopolov, who won an all-Ukrainian battle with Sergiy Stakhovsky 7-6(5), 6-4.

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