The German Alexander Zverev began his career at the Masters 1,000 in Rome and frightened off the surprise of the Argentine Sebastián Báezwho was imposed in a hard-fought victory that he resolved in two sets (7-6 (6) y 6-3). Zverev, seeded second, is already through to the round of 16 in Rome. The German, who lost the final of the Madrid Open against Carlos Alcaraz, suffered more than he should with a solid Báez, who made it very difficult for his rival to pass the round.
The first round was worthy of a match of rounds closer to the final, in which none of the contenders gave up their serve. ‘Sascha’ was not successful with the shots from the bottom of the court, but he managed to take a set to the ‘tie-break’ in which Báez was superior. In the tiebreaker, the German squeezed and enjoyed four match points before closing the set definitively, which bordered on the hour of exchanging blows.
Already in the second game, Zverev grew and made the doubts of the first disappear, and of a possible elimination, when he broke the serve of the Argentine, number 37 in the world, to go up 5-3 and sentence with his service. Zverev will face the winner of the tie between the Australian Alex de Miñaur, who defeated (7-5 and 6-4) the American Tommy Paul.
Schwartzman says goodbye
Argentine Diego Schwartzman said goodbye this Wednesday of the Masters 1,000 of Rome when falling before the American Marcos Giron in two sets (6-1 and 7-6 (4)). Giron ran over ‘Peque’ in the first set with a resounding 6-1 in which he broke the Argentine’s service three times and in which he was very solid to the rest.
Schwartzman woke up in the second set when Giron, number 59 in the world, took the lead again after another ‘break’. The Argentine, number 15 in the world, responded with what was his only break of the match to take the set to a tie-break. Before, with 4-5 against, he saved a match point that kept him alive until the final tiebreak, in which he gave up four of his services for two of his rival. Already in the round of 16, Giron will face the executioner of the Spanish Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassimeseeded eighth in the tournament.
Sinner wins the Italian ‘derby’
Jannick Sinner dropped Fabio Fognini from the Masters 1,000 in Rome this Wednesday with a 6-2, 3-6 and 6-3 victory in an Italian ‘derby’. In just over two hours, Sinner beat Fognini on the central court of the Foro Italico before the attentive gaze of the local public, divided between his two representatives. It was a special match for the contenders, who support football clubs doomed to not get along. The first is from Milan, while the second is from Inter.
Sinner clearly dominated the first set, in which he broke two of his compatriot’s services to finish with a resounding 6-2, provoking the wrath of Fognini, who paid for it with his racket. The public booed Fognini’s attitude, used to being in the spotlight. However, he reacted in the second set and tied the match 6-3. Everything was decided in a third stake in which Sinner was more successful, much more solid in the rest and focused on the match. Sinner will face Serbian Filip Krajinovic in the round of 16who gave the surprise by beating Russian Alexey Rublev in the second round against all odds.