Alexander Zverev was down two sets-to-one in the first round of the Australian Open against Robin Haase, but managed to pull himself back from the brink to move into the second round after a 62 36 75 46 64 win.
It looked like Zverev, a dark horse for a strong run at this tournament, would be heading out of the tournament when he down three-one in the fourth having lost two of the first three sets, however he rebounded to win the next nine games to take an unassailable lead and earn his place in round two.
In the early running it seemed as if this match would indeed go to form, as fifteen winners from the racket of German helped him earn two breaks of the Haase serve. The roles were surprisingly reversed in the second set, as Haase’s winner to unforced errors count improved substantially. The Dutchman earned the only two break points of the set, converting one of them early on, to level the scores at a set each.
The third set was up-and-down, with Zverev racing into a three-love lead. Haase then came back impressively levelling for three-all, before stealing a break at five-all and holding for an unlikely two-sets-to-one advantage.
Haase extended his winning streak to five consecutive games, by breaking and holding to start the fourth. A shell-shocked Zverev finally registered a hold for one-two. Haase then got tight, handing Zverev the easiest of return game breaks with unforced errors and double faults to level. Zverev duly held before racing out to a love-forty lead courtesy of two unforced errors and one forced errors off a superb Zverev return. Haase saved two break points but missed a rallying backhand long to hand the break to Zverev. Zverev took the set, smashing down an ace that Haase could only parry into the tramlines and after four sets the two still could not be separated.
This was a match of ebbs and flows, and just as Haase had found a winning streak in the late third and early fourth sets, so did Zverev continue his run of form from the late stages of the fourth, winning the first four games of the decider, a total of nine straight games dating back to when he had been down a break in the fourth set. Haase, looking resigned, managed a hold to stop the rot at four-one.
Zverev found himself in some trouble when attempting to serve out, passed at the net, and a forehand error offering Haase a break point. Some big serving brought him to deuce though, and though Haase forced one more break point, the seed finally won the match with a forced error off of a serve.
A close match for Zverev that only some timely serving and late return to form saw him avoid a shock early upset.
Zverev: “Robin played very well the whole match, very tough conditions, very hot… sometimes you have to let it out a little bit and after focus and play your best tennis… I love Melbourne I was coming here with my brother as a little boy and for juniors… next match is gonna be tough and if I win I have Rafa“.
Zverev will face the winner of the match between Frances Tiafoe and Mikhail Kukushkin in the second round.
