Alexander Zverev beat Italy’s Mattia Bellucci 6-4 6-2 after 1 hour and 36 minutes in their first head-to-head match to reach the third round at the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Stadium Court.
Zverev clinched his first win in Shanghai since 2019 after withdrawing from the China Open due to pneumonia. He lost to Roman Safiulin in straight sets in last year’s edition of the Shanghai Masters 1000 tournament.
Zverev will face either Tallon Griekspoor or Jordan Thompson.
Bellucci saved three break points in the first game of the opening set and three more chance from 15-40 at 2-2. Zverev fended off a break point with an ace at 3-2 before earning the first break at 15 in the seventh game to take a 4-3 lead. The German player served out the first set 6-4 with a hold at 15.
Zverev opened the second set with an early break after Bellucci hit a forehand into the net and made a double fault. The 2021 Olympic champion held on his serve without facing any break point. He earned a double break in the fifth game and held his next two service game to wrap up the match.
“Everything is OK when you win. I was very uncertain of my level before the tournament started”, said Zverev.
Jakub Mensik came back from one set down to beat Andrey Rublev 6-7 (7-9) 6-4 6-3. Mensik converted his third break point in the second game to open up a 2-0 lead. Rublev broke straight back in the second game, but he had to save three break points in the fourth game. Mensik went up a second break in the sixth game on his second opportunity to take a 4-2 lead. Rublev pulled one break back before saving three break points to draw level to 4-4. Mensik earned a mini-break to take a 4-3 lead. Rublev pulled back on serve to draw level to 4-4. Rublev won three consecutive points to win the tie-break 9-7.
Mensik broke Rublev twice in the first and fifth games of the second set to take a 4-1 lead. Rublev pulled one break back in the eighth game and held serve for 4-5. Mensik served out the second set 6-4 on his first set point.
Rublev earned an early break in the second game to take a 2-0 lead at the start of the third set. Mensik won six of the next game including three breaks of serve to win the decisive set 6-3.
