Zverev wins in Stuttgart after teen Engel reaches first quarters
dpa
Stuttgart/Berlin
Top-seed Alexander Zverev had a winning start into the Stuttgart Open on Thursday while 17-year-old fellow German Justin Engel reached a quarter-final of an ATP Tour event for the first time.
Coming off a first-round bye, Zverev defeated Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-2, 7-6 (9-7) under sunny skies in his first match since last week's French Open quarter-final exit against Novak Djokovic.
World number three Zverev was not glorious in his grass court season debut but eventually get the job done despite 34 unforced errors, and after having to save a set point in the tie-break.
Engel won his second round match 6-4, 6-4 win against seventh seeded American Alex Michelsen.
Playing in the first grass court event of his career on the ATP Tour, Engel became the youngest player to reach an ATP quarter-final on this surface since Boris Becker's first triumph at Wimbledon 40 years ago.
Zverev squandered an early 2-0 lead against 91st-ranked but regrouped and took the opening set with four unanswered games, saving three break points in the sixth game.
Zverev went break up at 4-3 in the second but eventually needed a tiebreak, where a 3-0 lead came and went.
Moutet got set point at 6-5 thanks to a lucky ball off the netcord but Zverev saved it and clinched matters in straight sets when Moutet hit a forehand long, and broke his racquet in half in disgust after defeat in 1 hour 51 minutes.xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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