He might have preferred a tidier match, but Alexander Zverev will definitely be happy with his result from the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco on Wednesday. The second seed saved three set points in the first set and eventually overcame countryman Peter Gojowczyk 7-6(6), 6-3 to move into the quarter-finals in Mexico.
Zverev was serving at 5-6 in the first set but fell behind 15/40 only to save both set points, and in the tie-break, he erased another set point at 5/6. A break at 4-3 in the second set sealed the match.
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The World No. 5 converted both of his break-point chances while erasing eight of the nine break points he faced. Gojowczyk had been playing well, too, having reached his second ATP World Tour final at the Delray Beach Open on Sunday (l. to #NextGenATP Tiafoe).
Zverev, in his first quarter-final of the season, will meet Ryan Harrison of the U.S., who handed Argentina's Diego Schwartzman his first loss in six matches 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Harrison, who reached the semi-finals at 2015 Acapulco, won nearly 60 per cent of Schwartzman's second-serve points.
Sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro was pushed all the way in a three-set tussle with four-time champion David Ferrer on Wednesday night. With 47 ATP World Tour singles titles between them, it was del Potro who extended his recent success over the Spaniard with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 second-round win.
Del Potro’s victory levelled their FedEx ATP Head2Head series at 6-6. He has now claimed their past three encounters, including a win in the Auckland semi-finals to start the season.
With scores tied at a set apiece, it was del Potro who landed the crucial break in the deciding set for 4-2. He served it out after two hours and 26 minutes to set a quarter-final showdown with third seed Dominic Thiem, an earlier winner over #NextGenATP player Denis Shapovalov.
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During his breakout 2017, Zverev reached 12 quarter-finals and won five ATP World Tour titles.