ATP: Alexander Zverev rules capricious Kyrgios in Miami

Alexander Zverev has reached the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Miami, where he will face Borna Coric of Croatia.

With a confident 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory Alexander Zverev has reached the round of the last eight at the Miami Open for the second time in his career. At the same time, he was able to pay back for the quarter-final defeat twelve months ago when Kyrgios regained the upper hand in three sets.

“There’s always something special about playing Nick, he’s incredibly talented. I returned very well, maybe that was the difference,” Zverev said after the match in an interview with Sky.

Zverev and Kyrgios had started their sixth duel with opposite signs. While the Australian with Dusan Lajovic and Fabio Fognini made little reading, the German number one against Daniil Medvedev and David Ferrer was strikingly difficult: the Hamburg-born had to make two decisive sets, both times he had the better end in his favour.

However, the number 20 in the world was never able to bring the alleged role of the favourite to life in the first set. Zverev was already in front after twelve minutes with the double break – but without closing the bag afterwards.

Kyrgios, who tried to relieve his apparently damaged back when he was 2:5 behind, came back again. However, the 20-year-old from Hamburg helped a lot by giving up his service quite abruptly. It should remain a short flash in the pan: With a sovereign service play Zverev got the deserved 1:0 in the sets.

What a victory against the Australian enfant terrible feels like was the last time “Sascha” was allowed to experience in the Davis Cup. In Germany’s first-round win Down Under, Zverev scored the decisive third point against the then slightly battered Canberra man. Previously, Kyrgios had won in three of four comparisons with Monegasque.

However, last year’s semi-finalist did not turn things around last night in Miami. After the initial phase of the second set was balanced, Zverev used the net edge to grab the trend-setting break for 4:2. Kyrgios was beaten, after a forehand error by the moody Australian Zverev was allowed to receive his friend’s congratulations at the net after 71 minutes.

On Friday, the number four on the seed list will have to deal with Borna Coric. The semi-finalist from Indian Wells beat the Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7:6 (2), 4:6, 6:4 in the NextGen Stars duel. Coric won both previous duels with Zverev.

Here the single tableau of the men in Miami