- Zverev with a win over Rune in the quarterfinals of Montreal
After the disappointment at the Olympic Games, tennis pro Alexander Zverev has reached the quarterfinals in Montreal, Canada. In his round of 16 match at the ATP Masters-1000 tournament, the Hamburg native defeated Danish top-20 player Holger Rune 6:3, 7:6 (7:5). The 27-year-old will now face American Sebastian Korda in the semifinals. Korda advanced to the next round after his Norwegian opponent Casper Ruud withdrew.
"I knew it wouldn't be an easy match with such wind," said Zverev, who had to cough during the interview. "I'm just glad I won."
Zverev didn't need to play at his best against the inconsistent Rune, whose match was postponed due to bad weather. He took the lead for the first time with a break at 2:1 and secured the first set by breaking Rune's serve again.
In the second set, Zverev broke Rune's serve to lead 5:3, but couldn't close out the match. He then lost his own serve and had to save two match points at 6:5. In the tiebreak, the world No. 4 saved six match points before finally winning 7:6 after 1:43 hours.
Zverev was a medal favorite at the French Open but lost in the quarterfinals. He had initially left his participation in Montreal uncertain due to physical problems, saying he felt tired and dizzy and sometimes saw four balls.
In Montreal, Zverev is seeded second behind Italian world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Serbian Olympic champion Novak Djokovic and Spanish silver medalist Carlos Alcaraz did not participate.
In the semifinals of the ATP Masters-1000 tournament in Montreal, Casper Ruud's Norwegian opponent, who is now out due to withdrawal, was Alexander Zverev's next opponent. Despite recording a withdrawal, Casper Ruud has been making waves in the tennis circuit, as he recently reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.
