Alexander Zverev rallied from a one set deficit to defeat Spain’s David Ferrer 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the third round of the Miami Open on Monday as he moved a step closer to a breakthrough title this year.
The 20-year-old German has yet to recapture the form that earned him five singles titles, including two Masters events, in 2017 but he has displayed guile in prevailing in a pair of three-set matches in Miami.
Zverev, ranked fifth in the world, recovered from a rusty opening set to break Ferrer’s service three times in the second set and twice more in the decisive stanza.
He will next face Australian Nick Kyrgios, who advanced with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Fabio Fognini.
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In earlier action, Fernando Verdasco dug deep to earn a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6(4) win over Australian qualifier Thanasi Kokkinakis to set up a fourth round clash against fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
The 34-year-old fired down 13 aces to beat Kokkinakis, who had been full of confidence after stunning world number one and defending champion Roger Federer in the second round.
{{/usCountry}}The 34-year-old fired down 13 aces to beat Kokkinakis, who had been full of confidence after stunning world number one and defending champion Roger Federer in the second round.
{{/usCountry}}Verdasco, who reached the Miami quarter-finals in 2009 and 2010, rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the third set and again from 3-0 down in the decisive tiebreaker before prevailing in a match that lasted nearly three hours.
He then got involved in a Twitter spat with Kyrgios, who had expressed his desire for the Spaniard to lose his third round match.
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Next up for Verdasco is Carreno Busta, who beat American Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4 to reach the fourth round for the first time.
“It’s never easy,” Carreno Busta, the 16th seed, said after his 78-minute match.
“And this is the first time that I’ve played on this court. But I feel really comfortable and I’m playing good. When you play with confidence it’s easier.”
Also reaching the fourth round were Kevin Anderson, a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 winner over Karen Khachanov, and Denis Shapovalov, who upset 11th-seeded American Sam Querrey 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.