ATP Munich: Alexander Zverev tops Juan Ignacio Londero to open title chase
World no. 3 and two-time defending champion Alexander Zverev is off to a winning start in Munich, defeating Juan Ignacio Londero 7-5, 6-1 in 64 minutes for the 13th win of the season. Alexander has struggled to find the form so far in 2019 and he eager to make a good result here and gain the momentum before Madrid and Rome Masters. The German needed some time to hit the zone and impose his shots, losing serve twice in the opening set but controlling the scoreboard with reliable performance on the return, taking half of the return points and scoring five breaks from seven chances to march into the quarters, only the second this year.
Londero kicked off the match with a break at love following a forehand winner and Zverev did the same in game two to erase the deficit and level the score at 1-1. Home favorite broke again in game four, holding at love to open a 4-1 lead after just 14 minutes before the Argentinian broke back in game seven to get back on the positive side of the scoreboard. They stayed neck and neck until game 12 when Zverev broke for a 7-5, pumped and motivated for more of the same in the rest of the encounter.
Juan Ignacio suffered a break in the fourth game of the second set when Alexander landed a forehand winner and the German never looked back, holding with a magnificent backhand down the line winner and moving 5-1 up after a double fault from Londero in game six. A service winner in the next game propelled Zverev over the finish line, happy with the way he performed in the most of the match and especially the second set, hoping to leave the problems behind him and get back where he was in the last two seasons. Alexander will now face Christian Garin who is enjoying a great season, scoring already 15 wins and chasing the place in the top-30 in the following months.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2VaEiin
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