Alexander Zverev notched a comfortable win to break new ground on Wednesday evening at the Erste Bank Open.
The top seed at the indoor hard-court ATP 500 in Vienna overcame Marcos Giron 6-2, 7-5 to seal a quarter-final spot. Zverev sent down 10 aces and converted all three break points he earned, according to Infosys ATP Stats, en route to securing his 61st win of 2024. That tally represents a season-best for the German.
“I thought he was serving unbelievable in the second set,” said Zverev, when asked how tough Giron made it to close out victory. “I was feeling really good from the baseline, but I was not getting many chances to play from the baseline because he was serving so well.
“Obviously I’m extremely happy to get it done in straight sets. When it goes to a tie-break, it’s never guaranteed that you’re going to win it, especially against someone like him who plays fantastic tennis. I’m happy to be through to the quarter-finals.”
Simply unplayable 💪@AlexZverev with a personal best 61st win in a season, taking out Giron 6-2 7-5 to make the quarters in Vienna #ErsteBankOpen | @ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/Z1BcKgvXaN
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 23, 2024With his 73-minute win, Zverev extended his Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against Giron to 3-0. Competing in the Vienna main-draw for the fourth time, the 27-year-old also maintained his record of having reached at least the quarter-finals on every one of his appearances there.
The World No. 3’s next assignment in the Austrian capital, where he lifted the title in 2021, is a last-eight meeting with Lorenzo Musetti. The Italian advanced to the quarter-finals after Gael Monfils was forced to withdraw from the pair’s second-round clash due to illness.
Currently third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and having already sealed his Nitto ATP Finals spot, Zverev is bidding to add a second tour-level title to his stellar season. The Rome champion has been a beacon of consistency this year, and by beating Giron he joined World No. 1 Jannik Sinner as the only player to reach 14 tour-level quarter-finals in 2024.
The day’s action at the Wiener Stadthalle was rounded out in dramatic fashion by Matteo Berrettini and Frances Tiafoe. The pair delivered a see-saw battle for the late-night crowd and it was Berrettini who ultimately held firm for a 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory.
Tiafoe saved three match points in the second set, when he rallied from 3-5 and then 4/6 in the tie-break. However after levelling the match and then breaking serve in the opening game of the decider, the American was unable to make his momentum count. Berrettini raised his level to roar back and claim a three-hour, three-minute triumph.
The key to the Italian’s victory was his ability to dig himself out of holes on serve. Berrettini saved 15 of 17 break points he faced in the match, according to Infosys ATP Stats, while his charge to the finish line was also helped by firing eight aces in the third set alone.
After claiming his first Top 20 win on a hard court since January 2023, Berrettini will next take on Karen Khachanov or Brandon Nakashima. The 28-year-old is chasing his fourth title of 2024 in Vienna, but his first above ATP 250 level.
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