Alexander Zverev Battles Into Rio Open Quarter-Finals
Alexander Zverev’s pursuit of a first title in 2025 continued as he secured a hard-fought victory to reach the Rio Open quarter-finals.
Competing in Brazil for the first time on the ATP Tour, the German has faced tough challenges on the clay courts. After overcoming Yunchaokete Bu in the Round of 16, he was pushed to the limit by Alexander Shevchenko but managed to prevail in straight sets.
Zverev Equals Jannik Sinner’s Win Record at Rio Open
In a grueling two-hour and 28-minute battle, the top seed took on World No. 103 Shevchenko in Rio.
Zverev dominated the first-set tiebreak, dropping just one point. However, in the second set, he found himself in trouble, trailing 2-5 in the tiebreak. Showing resilience, he mounted a comeback, winning six of the next seven points to clinch the match 7-6(1), 7-6(6).
This victory marked Zverev’s 80th win since the start of the 2024 season, tying him with World No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the most wins in that period. The German will now have a chance to surpass Sinner when he faces Francisco Comesana in the quarter-finals.
Zverev Struggles with Rio’s Heat and Humidity
Despite his victory, Zverev admitted the hot and humid conditions in Rio de Janeiro took a toll on him physically.
“Generally, I thought it was a pretty good match. It’s not easy conditions here. It’s hot, humid. You go to your limits sometimes physically,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.
“I thought he played a very good match, so I’m happy with the win and definitely happy with the improvement from yesterday.”
The World No. 2 also revealed that at 4-1 in the second set, he struggled to breathe due to the heavy air and extreme humidity.
“I was physically struggling. I was really struggling to breathe. The air is very heavy here—very, very humid. I caught myself then afterwards, and obviously, I’m happy I didn’t have to play a third set.”
Zverev will look to recover quickly as he continues his title bid in Rio, where he remains one of the tournament favorites.
