Former Alexander Zverev cruised past Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2 after 74 minutes at the Madrid Mutua Open.
Nishikori fired a backhand winner down the line to take a 3-2 lead in the opening set, but Zverev broke straight back in the next game and got another break in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead with a forehand winner before closing out the first set after 38 minutes.
Zverev broke twice at 1-1 and 4-2 and closed out the second set with a love hold with a backhand winner down the line.
“I was very pleased with my all-around performance today. My serve was working out pretty well. I think my returns and my backhand was also working out pretty well. It was a good match for me, because against someone like Kei, you need to win the match yourself. He is not going to give anything to you. I felt like I did that well today”, said Zverev.
Zverev has reached the Madrid quarter finals or better in his previous appearances. The German player will take on this year’s Monte-Carlo semifinalst Daniel Evans. The British player won his only head-to-head match against Zverev at the 2016 US Open.
Dan Evans saved eight of the nine break points he faced in his 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3 win over John Millman after 2 hours and 34 minutes. Evans earned his first break in the opening game, but Millman pulled the break back before forcing a tie-break. Millman sealed the tie-break on his second set point. Evans broke Millman twice in the seventh and ninth game to win the second set 6-2 forcing the match to the third set. Evans saved four break points at 2-1 before breaking serve to take a 5-3 lead. The British player served out the match in the next game.
