Alexander Zverev is through to the last 16 of the
Roland Garros for the seventh consecutive year. But he had to do it the hard way as he saw off
Tallon Griekspoor in a true French Open spectacle on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The World No.4 was down and out it seemed against the Dutchman and looked to be heading home as the latter put on a clinic and sat at 4-1 up in the fifth set. Before returning to defeat him 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 and he prevailed in the super tie-break 10-3. He has reached the second week of a Grand Slam for the 18th time and in particular shone in the tie-break.
Griekspoor threw the cat amongst the pigeons early on as he broke and went 4-1 up on Zverev in the opening set. He went 5-2 up and closed out the set with the World No.4 not getting a sniff on his serve. But roles reversed in the second as Zverev staved off break point and continue to build his lead in a set with minimal chances to break. Very tight and the kind where whoever blinked first would hand the cards over.
It was Griekspoor who showed his hand as he was broken to make it 6-4 with Zverev producing an emphatic break to level up. He continued to build with Zverev sealing the third 6-2. After staving off two break points in the first game, he punished Griekspoor who had to summon his strength to continue into the final set. He came back with a bang. He broke to go 3-2 up in the penultimate set of the contest and went 4-2 up. He staved off break chances to keep Zverev in the set twice including to win the set and he snuck through on the final set point.
But this is where he should've had Zverev. He was a double break and 4-1 up. But he began to feel it and soon Zverev had turned the tables. Amid the pressure, it was Zverev that rose as he went onto force a tie-break. He showed his real grit and resolve to surge through in the super tie-break and not give Griekspoor a single chance to win the match. Heartbreak for the Dutchman after being so far ahead.
Daniil Medvedev masters Machac as the battle between himself and clay continues.
Whilst in the real king of classics kind of day,
Daniil Medvedev passed a tricky test as he saw off Tomas Machac on Saturday advancing 7-6(4), 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 after three hours and 24 minutes of drama.
The Russian led by two sets to love and a break. However Machac refused to fade soaring back to claim the third. he then continued to hang with Medvedev into the fourth set. But as the time grew closer for Medvedev to put up or shut up, he did the former as he sealed a decisive break in the 10th game of the fourth. Machac who is a danger man after beating Novak Djokovic last week in Geneva gifted Medvedev victory after missing a smash at 4-5 at deuce. The Russian despises the surface but continues to master it.
