ZVEREV WINS YOUNG-GUN BATTLE AGAINST TAYLOR FRITZ, JOINED BY HARRISON IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TENNIS THIRD ROUND

By Ricky Dimon

 

Alexander Zverev made sure his highly-anticipated, all-teenager showdown against Taylor Fritz did not last long. And he made sure there would be no upset delivered by the player who is one year younger. Zverev took care of business 6-4, 6-2 on Wednesday afternoon, rolling into round three of the Citi Open in one hour and 16 minutes.

 

One break at 1-1 in made the difference in the opening set, but only because Zverev consolidated it by surviving a marathon service game at 2-1. The 19-year-old German saved five break points and persevered through seven deuces to finally hold. He held another deuce game for 5-3 before serving out the set with a love game at 5-4.

 

It was all but over for Fritz when he got broken from 40-0 up at 1-1. The 18-year-old American had fought off four break points to hold for 1-0, but he seemed to play better from behind than from ahead. The fifth of five consecutive points for Zverev in the 1-1 game was courtesy of a Fritz double-fault. As for the seventh seed, who took a late wild card into Washington, D.C., he lost a mere four service points in the entire second set–including zero in his last two service games.

 

“It was a difficult match,” Zverev said during his press conference. “The court was very fast; the center court here is always faster than the other courts. I’m happy to get through that one…. This match of course means something to me, but it doesn’t mean a lot for the future,” Zverev commented. “There are a lot of improvements to make; both of us.”

 

There was better news for host nation in the match that took place simultaneously with Zverev-Fritz on Grandstand 2. Ryan Harrison, who had to qualify just to get into the main draw, booked a spot in round three by upsetting No. 10 seed Viktor Troicki 7-6(4), 6-4. Harrison trailed by break in the opening set and by 3-0 in the tiebreaker, but he battled back to prevail in two hours and 16 minutes.

 

The world No. 158 got the job done despite converting only three of 22 break-point opportunities.

 

Fellow American Stevie Johnson also advanced to the last 16, as he finished off a rain-delayed contest against Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-4. Johnson and Harrison will go head-to-head on Thursday with a place in the quarterfinals at stake.

 

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

 

Donald Young of the US in action against Bernard Tomic of Australia during their second round match at the CITI Open tennis tournament at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, DC USA, 20 July 2016. Tomic defeated Young. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

 

Lukas Lacko of Slovakia in action against Jack Sock of the US during a second round match of the CITI Open tennis tournament at the Rock Creek Park Tennis Center in Washington, DC, USA, 20 July 2016. Sock defeated Lacko. EPA/ERIK S. LESSER

Topics: 10sballs.com, Adrian Mannarino, Alexander Zverev, Atp World Tour, Citi Open, Ricky Dimon, Ryan Harrison, Stevie Johnson, Taylor Fritz, Tennis News, Washington DC

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