#NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit on Tuesday against Robin Haase to gain his first career win at the Australian Open 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. Zverev fell behind a break in the fourth set and shattered his racquet in frustration. But the 19-year-old German won 12 of the final 15 games to improve his five-set record to 3-2 with the two-hour and 54-minute victory. The right-hander had lost in the first round in Melbourne last year, his only prior appearance at Melbourne Park. Zverev, the 24th seed, will next meet fellow #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe, who earned his first Grand Slam win by beating Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2. The 18-year-old American had been...
#NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit on Tuesday against Robin Haase to gain his first career win at the Australian Open 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2. Zverev fell behind a break in the fourth set and shattered his racquet in frustration. But the 19-year-old German won 12 of the final 15 games to improve his five-set record to 3-2 with the two-hour and 54-minute victory. The right-hander had lost in the first round in Melbourne last year, his only prior appearance at Melbourne Park. Zverev, the 24th seed, will next meet fellow #NextGenATP player Frances Tiafoe, who earned his first Grand Slam win by beating Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3, 6-2. The 18-year-old American had been...
A slew of American #NextGenATP stars have successfully advanced into the main draw of the Australian Open, with Frances Tiafoe, Noah Rubin, Reilly Opelka and Ernesto Escobedo taking their spot among the 16 final-round qualifying winners on Saturday. Second seed Tiafoe survived a marathon 3-6, 6-0, 7-5 match against fellow American Tim Smyczek. Both players held serve throughout the final set until Tiafoe finally broke Smyczek in the last game to wrap up the win. This is the first time that the 18-year-old has come through qualifying at a Grand Slam. In an all-teen battle, Opelka came through 7-6(4) 6-3 against Norwegian Casper Ruud to secure his first Grand Slam main draw appearance. The American reached his first ATP World...
#NextGenATP stars Noah Rubin and Andrey Rublev are one step away from the main draw of the Australian Open, with both players recording second-round qualifying victories in a rain-filled Day 3 of qualifying on Friday. Only 16 matches were completed. Rubin once again came through in a deciding set to take out No. 32 seed Roberto Carballes Baena of Spain, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. The American reached the second round last year in Melbourne through a reciprocal main draw wild card, but looks to qualify for a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. The 20-year-old will now compete for a spot in the main draw against No. 11 seed Evgeny Donsky of Russia, who scored a hard-fought 7-6(3),...