Zverev eases into Halle second round after coming to aid of injured spectator
FILE PHOTO: Jun 4, 2025; Paris, FR; Alexander Zverev of Germany during his match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day 11 at Roland Garros Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS
Zverev eases into Halle second round after coming to aid of injured spectator
Alexander Zverev's hunt for an elusive grasscourt title began with a clinical 6-2 6-1 victory over Marcos Giron in the first round of the Halle Open on Wednesday in a match interrupted by an advertising hoarding falling on spectators.
During the opening set, a section of an advertising hoarding came crashing down from the upper tier onto spectators below, forcing the chair umpire to stop play.
Zverev immediately procured an ice pack for the injured fans to use and waited patiently while tournament organisers scrambled to provide medical assistance.
Reuters has contacted the organisers for comment on the status of the injured fans. The courtside announcer later said a woman who was injured was 'okay'.
On court, Zverev finished the match with 23 winners in the 79-minute contest where Giron struggled to match the power of the German's first serve and had no answer when his opponent's returns found all corners of the court.
World number three Zverev, still nursing the disappointment of Sunday's Stuttgart Open final defeat by Taylor Fritz, showed no mercy with the home fans firmly behind the towering second seed who has finished runner-up twice in Halle.
"It was a great match for me, I thought it was quite high level. Maybe he wanted to play a bit better than he did, but all in all I felt like I didn't let him play that well, which was important for me," Zverev said.
Giron held his own early in the opening set with some deft touches and drop shots, but his resistance crumbled against Zverev's thunderous serve, with the German finishing with 10 aces.
The opening set's final game became an unexpected epic as Giron saved four set points before Zverev finally secured it after 54 minutes of play.
Any hopes of a comeback quickly evaporated as Zverev reeled off seven consecutive games to take a 3-0 lead in the second set as Giron's shoulders slumped.
Giron's double-fault count also increased at the wrong time and the German pounced to break before serving out the set.
"I feel like when he's on top of the ball, when he's allowed to play, it's very difficult with him because he moves quite well. He can control the rally quite well, so I had to take that away," Zverev added.
Earlier, eighth seed Karen Khachanov dispatched Belgium's Zizou Bergs 7-5 6-3 despite a nasty fall on the grass.
Third seed Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are in action in the last 16 later. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
21 minutes ago
- Straits Times
FIFA hands four-match bans to Boca Juniors players sent off in Club World Cup opener
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Europa League - Round of 16 - First Leg - AS Roma v Athletic Bilbao - Stadion Olimpico, Rome, Italy - March 6, 2025, Athletic Bilbao's Ander Herrera in action with AS Roma's Evan Ndicka REUTERS/Alberto Lingria/File Photo Jun 16, 2025; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; CA Boca Juniors defender Nicolas Figal (4) dribbles downfield during the second half against SL Benfica in a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images REUTERS FIFA hands four-match bans to Boca Juniors players sent off in Club World Cup opener MIAMI - Boca Juniors players Ander Herrera and Nicolas Figal were handed four-match bans by FIFA after being sent off in their Club World Cup opener against Benfica, a spokesperson for the Argentine club told Reuters on Wednesday. Boca disagreed with the sanctions imposed on their players after Benfica's Andrea Belotti received a two-match ban for catching Ayrton Costa in the head with a high boot in the 72nd minute. "We have already contacted FIFA to submit an appeal," said the club spokesperson. Spanish midfielder Herrera, who was subbed off due to a muscle injury, was shown a red card in the 45th minute after protesting to Mexican referee Cesar Ramos from the bench over a penalty awarded to the Portuguese side. Defender Figal was sent off in the 88th minute with a straight red card for a foul on Florentino Luis when the match was tied at 2-2. Boca will face Bayern Munich at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday in their second match in Group C. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Fernandez moves past Bucsa to reach Nottingham quarter-finals
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 11, 2025, Canada's Leylah Fernandez in action during her round of 32 match against Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Canadian fifth seed Leylah Fernandez cruised to the quarter-finals of the Nottingham Open after a 6-3 6-4 win over Spain's Cristina Bucsa on Wednesday. The 2021 U.S. Open runner-up dominated the first set and overcame a spirited challenge from Bucsa in the second to secure her spot in the last eight. "Cristina's an amazing player and a great fighter. The last few times I played against her, it has always been a battle, so I knew today was going to be hard," Fernandez said. "I'm just happy with the way that I was able to start the match and then also maintain throughout the set and the second set. I was happy that I was able to be positive and use the crowd for me during important moments." The 22-year-old Fernandez will next face Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, who earned her quarter-final berth with a 6-2 2-6 6-4 win over Croatian qualifier Antonia Ruzic. Slovakia's Rebecca Sramkova staged a comeback to beat fourth seed Yulia Putintseva 6-1 4-6 6-4, marking her first tour-level grass-court quarter-final. Putintseva had been aiming to avenge last month's Strasbourg Open loss to Sramkova but faltered despite taking the first set with ease. Sramkova will next play Czech seventh seed Linda Noskova, who registered an easy 6-1 6-3 win over British wildcard Francesca Jones. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Man City show squad depth in 2-0 Club World Cup win over Wydad
Soccer Football - FIFA Club World Cup - Group G - Manchester City v Wydad Casablanca - Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. - June 18, 2025 Manchester City's Phil Foden celebrates scoring their first goal with Nico O'Reilly and Jeremy Doku IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters/Caean Couto TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY REUTERS PHILADELPHIA - Manchester City showcased their impressive squad depth in a 2-0 victory over Morocco's Wydad Casablanca in the Club World Cup on Wednesday, with manager Pep Guardiola rotating his team and resting key players. Goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku in the first half were enough to secure City's win in their Group G opener, as Guardiola handed opportunities to emerging talents and recent signings. Among those who stood out was 21-year-old Frenchman Rayan Cherki, signed from Olympique Lyonnais for 40 million euros ($45.86 million) ahead of the tournament. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT: The match highlighted City's squad rebuilding efforts following their first trophyless season since 2016-17. The club invested significantly in the transfer market, adding Cherki and three other players in the summer window prior to the Club World Cup, spending around 110 million pounds ($147.40 million). This followed a busy January window aimed at refreshing Guardiola's project. KEY QUOTES: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola: "We are pretty pleased with what we saw today from those who played. We have new players; some players played in different positions. Vitor Reis played a really good game. Nathan Ake was several months without playing. We have so many players that we need to give them minutes. Otherwise, they never can get it. The next game, 10 new players are going to be there and try to win the next one." "It's a thin line we are having to deal with, a mix between pre-season with an important competition economically and of course for the prestige to play and win a Club World Cup from teams from all around the world. So mentally, you need to prepare for every game, play better. The target is improving, our level today was OK... So this is what we have to think about. To review how it was and where I have to make a step up." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
