Fourth seed Alexander Zverev came back from a double break down in the fifth set to beat Tallon Griekspoor 3-6 6-4 6-2 3-6 7-6 (10-3) under the roof of Phillippe Chatrier at Roland Garros.
Zverev improved his record to 31-9 this season, including a 13-3 on clay.
Griekspoor went up a 3-0 lead with a break in the second game. The Dutchman held on his serve and served out the first set 6-3 on his third set point in the ninth game.
Zverev fought back after losing the first set to go up 2-1. The German player broke serve in the 10th game to close out the second set 6-4.
Zverev broke twice in the second and eighth game to seal the third set 6-2. Griekspoor converted his second break point in the fifth game to close out 6-4.
Griekspoor earned break in the first game of the fifth set. The Dutchman went up a double break to race out to a 4-1 lead. Griekspoor made his second break point of the game to face a break point, as he was serving at 4-3 30-30. Zverev pulled one break back for 2-4.
Zverev broke for the second time in the eighth game to draw level to 4-4 as Griekspoor hit a backhand into the net. Zverev hit his 10th ace to hold for 6-5. Griekspoor held serve to force the fifth set to the tie-break.
Griekspoor earned an early mini-break at the start of the tie-break, as Zverev sailed a drive. Zverev hit a crosscourt volley winner for 2-1. Zverev extended his lead to 6-2 with an inside-out forehand winner.
Zverev hit a two-handed pass down the line for 8-2 and hit his 11th ace to close out the match after 4 hour and 14 minutes.
Zverev improved to 4-1 in his head-to-head matches against Grieekspoor.
Zverev hit 55 winners and committed 41 unforced errors. The three-time Roland Gaarros will face either Holger Rune or Jozef Kovalik.
Zverev has won nine consecutive matches on clay for the first time since 2018, when he won 13 straight matches on this surface at Munich, Madrid and Rome. Earlier this month he won at Rome Masters 1000 for the second time in his career. He opened this year’s edition of Roland Garros with a win over Rafael Nadal in the first round.
“It was an incredible match. He is unbelievably dangerous. I always struggle against him. I don’t like to play against him, but all the credit to him, taking all the way. It was on or two points here and there. He is an incredible player and fighter until the end”, said Zverev.
