Alexander Zverev needed three sets to beat John Millman in the second round of the Bett1 Hulks Championship in a great match that went back and forth.

German Bagel :

The German number one seed got off to the best possible start earning breakpoints in the first game of the match and would end up breaking winning a great rally with a stellar forehand to take an early 1-0 lead. He would hold serve but not before the Brisbane native had chances to break back but the world number seven did a good job saving the breakpoint. 

Zverev continued his dominant play and seemed unstoppable getting three more breakpoints and broke again to take a 3-0 lead when the Aussie missed a forehand. He held serve once again and unfortunately, the errors kept coming from the world number 44 racquet and the German found himself up 5-0 serving for the first set. He served it out and took the 6-0 first set in just 25 minutes.

Millman forces a third set DeFodi Images
Millman forces a third set DeFodi Images

The Aussie Responds :

Millman held serve to open the second set and had breakpoints the very next game when the German threw in an untimely double fault. The number one seed would step up to the service line and save it with a big ace out wide. The Aussie didn't give up and had a second chance to break and broke the world number seven winning another long rally forcing the error from his German opponent.

He held serve to take a 3-0 lead and it stayed on serve from there until the Aussie served it out and won the set with a big crosscourt forehand winner to take it 6-3.

The tight finish :

Zverev opened the deciding set with a love service game and both players held serve until 2-1 when the German had a chance to break and would break upping his level and winning breakpoint with a great backhand down the line. From there it was smooth sailing and it stayed on serve until the number one seed would serve it out to take the third set 6-3. After the match, he spoke about how he was able to pull through in three sets.

Zverev backhand return DeFodi Images
Zverev backhand return DeFodi Images

" I won last week and I still have a lot of confidence, I need to find my game again but he is somebody when he is on a rhythm he can beat some of the best players in the world, for me it was finding a way at the end which I did and I won which is most important".

Zverev will now play Adrian Mannarino who beat Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets.

Day 3 results :

We had five matches on day three and here is how it all played out. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat American Steve Johnson 7-6 and 6-3, German Jan Lennard Struff beat Italian Marco Cecchinato 6-3, and 6-1. Felix Auger Aliassime last week finalist needed three sets to avoid the upset versus Egor Gerasimov 4-6, 7-6, and 7-6. 

After the match, he spoke about how he was able to come through a tough three-set match.

" It was tough he was playing a really good level in the first set, I wasn't really finding my rhythm on the return, he didn't get a breakpoint until later in the second set so that part was really difficult, he deserved to win as much as I did he was playing really good and way better than the last time I played him and I congratulate him for that".

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