Alexander Zverev came back from a break down in both sets to edge Giles Simon 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 after 2 hours and 20 minutes to claim his 54th win of the season. The German Next Gen star scored his fourth win in four head-to-head matches against Simon but had to dig deep to beat the French veteran, as he had to save 8 of the 12 break points he faced and won just two points than his rival.
Zverev converted five of his 10 break point chances and won 64% of his first serve points. Simon missed a set point in the first set and three break points for a 5-2 lead in the second set
The Rome and Montreal Masters 1000 champion hit 32 winners to 46 unforced errors, while Simon had a 18-30 ratio. Simon earned five break points, while Zverev brought two chances.
Simon converted his second break point in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Zverev broke straight back in the third game for 1-2 after Simon made a backhand error. Zverev saved two break points in the sixth and eight games before breaking serve on his first chance to take a 5-4 lead. As Zverev had a set point in the 10th game on his serve, Simon broke straight back in the 10th game at deuce to draw level to 5-5. The Frenchman earned a set point at 6-5, as Zverev served to stay in the set. The German held his serve to love with a smash winner to force the set to the tie-break. Simon earned a set point at 6-5 but Zverev won a 27-shot point to earn his second set point and closed out the first set with a service winner.
The second set was marked by 15 break points. Zverev held his first service game at deuce after saving two break points but dropped his serve at 30 in the third game. Zverev converted his third break point at deuce to draw level to 2-2 with a lob. Simon won two consecutive games to open up a 4-2 lead with his second consecutive break, as Zverev sent his forehand long. Simon missed three break points for 5-2 in the seventh game.
Zverev saved all three break points with winners and converted his fourth break point chance to draw level to 4-4, as Simon made a double fault. Zverev sealed a hard-fought win with his second consecutive break after winning a 27-stroke rally in the 10th game to reach his 12th quarter final of the season.
Zverev has withdrawn from the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan to focus on the ATP Finals in London.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came back from one set down to edge past Karen Khachanov 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 6-3 keeping his hopes alive to qualify for the ATP Finals in London.
Tsonga, who won his fourth title of the season last week in Antwerp and reached the final in Vienna in 2016, held his serve after saving two break points (one in the third game and another in the ninth). Khachanov made four double faults in the 12th game but fended off three set points on Tsonga’s serve. In the tie-break Khachanov got a mini-break to take a 4-2 lead and won three consecutive points to close out the first set.
Tsonga went up 15-40 on return in the first game of the second set earning two break points and converted his chance, as Khachanov netted his backhand. The French player faced two break points and made a double fault on the second chance in the fourth game to drop his serve for 2-2. Tsonga got another break in the ninth game to go ahead 5-4, as Khachanov sent his backhand wide. The Frenchman served out for the second set with a forehand at 40-30.
Tsonga earned a break point with a backhand passing shot down the line in the third game and converted his chance with his forehand to take a 2-1 lead. The Frenchman held his service game at deuce after saving a break point for 3-1. He earned a match point on Khachanov’s serve in the ninth game and converted it with an inside-out forehand to set up a next round against Damir Dzumhur, who beat Ricardas Berankis for the second time in just a few days after winning their recent head-to-head match in the final of the Kremlin Cup in Moscow last Sunday. Dzumhur went up a double break to take a 3-0 lead. Berankis pulled both breaks back to draw level to 3-3. Dzumhur broke for the third time in the ninth game at deuce to take a 5-4 lead and held his service game to 15 to close out the first set. Dzumhur converted his third break point in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. The Bosnian player broke for the second time on his second opportunity in the fifth game to race out to a 4-1 lead and held his next two service games easily to close out the match in the eighth game.
Argentine’s Diego Schwartzman saw off Fabio Fognini 6-1 2-6 6-2 after 1 hour and 28 minutes. Schwartzman, who reached the final in Antwerp last week, broke for the first time in the second game and went up a double break on his fourth opportunity after a hard-fought sixth game. He served out on his first chance in the seventh game for 6-1 after 27 minutes.
Last week’s Stockolm semifinalist Fognini saved a break point in the first game of the second set. He held another serve in the third game before breaking serve to 15 in the fourth game. The Italian sealed the 30-minute second set with a break on the first of his set points in the eighth game.
Schwartzman got the first break of the decider on his second opportunity in the opening game. The Argentine held his next service games in a one-sided third set and sealed the win with a double break on his first chance in the seventh game. He served it out on his first match point after 30 minutes setting up a next round against Pablo Carreno Busta, who won their only previous head-to-head match in the quarter finals at this year’s US Open.
Three-time Vienna finalist Phillip Kohlschreiber beat Pierre Hugues Herbert 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 to become the first player to reach teh quarter finals. The German won 82 % of his first serve points to improve his head-to-head record against Herbert to 3-1.
