Zverev Survives First Round at Rio Open with Seamless Strategy

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Alexander Zverev, the world No. 2, fought through a tough first round at the Rio Open on Tuesday night, edging China’s Buyunchaokete with a score of 7-6(4), 6-4.

The top-seeded German faced significant challenges during the 78-minute opening set, where he had to stave off a set point on Bu’s serve. Zverev ultimately managed to secure the victory despite a total of 28 unforced errors, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“Not a great match by me but he played some good tennis,” Zverev said after the match. He added, “He made it difficult for me. Actually, it’s surprising because I played really well in practice here the whole week, so I hope it’s just the first match.”

Zverev, who won only 71% of points on his first serve, noted, “I lost focus. I lost my shots and my rhythm a little bit. Went maybe for a bit too much and made it complicated for myself.”

Initially, Zverev seemed to be on track for an effortless win, leading 4-1 in the first set. However, Bu staged a formidable comeback, holding a set point at 5-4 before Zverev regrouped to take the opener.

Despite the rocky start, Zverev’s performance improved his record to 26-2 in opening rounds on clay since 2020. He also noted his impressive 22-1 record against players outside the top 50 in the PIF ATP Rankings since 2023.

Zverev’s next match will be against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik for their first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting. In earlier matches, defending champion Baez began his campaign with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over countryman Roman Burruchaga, and he is set to face Zverev in what promises to be an exciting rematch of last year’s title match.

Also making headlines, Portugal’s Nuno Borges is expected to make his Top 100 debut in Monday’s PIF ATP Rankings following a significant 6-2, 7-5 win against Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, propelling him to No. 94 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings.