Alexander Zverev refused to become the second high-seeded casualty on the bottom half of the Roland Garros draw on Sunday. While two-time finalist Dominic Thiem fell in five sets earlier in the day, the German rallied past countryman Oscar Otte 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-0 to reach the second round.
The sixth seed is now 7-0 in five-setters on the Parisian clay and 16-7 in five-setters overall. This was the second time he has rallied from two sets down, having also done so in last year’s US Open semi-finals against Pablo Carreno Busta.
Although Zverev was pushed to a deciding set, the 24-year-old was able to advance after two hours and 49 minutes. The two-time Roland Garros quarter-finalist will next play one of two qualifiers: Roman Safiullin or Carlos Taberner, both of whom won a Grand Slam title in the juniors.
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Otte did not lose a set in qualifying, and his confidence showed in the early going against Zverev, as he played freely and pushed Zverev back. But the sixth seed never panicked or got overly frustrated. And once he surged ahead in the third set and began to move up in the court, Otte was unable to find any answers.
Zverev broke the World No. 152’s serve eight times. And although he will want to clean up his eight double faults, the German won 59 per cent of his second-serve points and finished off his victory with his 50th winner, a backhand up the line off his back foot.
This was Otte’s third Grand Slam main draw appearance, with his previous two coming at Roland Garros as a lucky loser. It was the 27-year-old's first tour-level match of the season.
from Tennis - ATP World Tour https://ift.tt/3ySczD5
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