Alexander Zverev avoids a scare against Thompson in Miami 3R | ATP Tour

Miami

Zverev avoids a scare against Thompson in Miami

In addition to the main favorite, Machac also advanced this Monday

March 24, 2025

The main favorites must activate all the senses in the Miami Open present by It Itaú, since it has been more than demonstrated that the standard head label during this fortnight in Florida is not synonymous with success. Not much less.

The list of favorites that have been falling in the first days of competition is extensive. From No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz (Second Round), the current champion in Indian Wells and No. 6 Jack Draper (Second Round), No. 7 Daniil Medvedev (Second Round), No. 8 Andrey Rublev (Second Round) or The No. 9 Stefanos Tsitsipas (Third Round).

With all these arguments, Alexander Zverev, who starts as the main favorite, was more than prevented before his third round duel against Jordan Thompson, who ended up defeating 7-5, 6-4, 6-4, in an hour and 27 minutes.

“Jordan made it difficult for me, of course,” Zverev acknowledged, who has a 19-9 record in the tournament. “He is a quality player. When you have a rhythm, he knows how to break it a little. So he did very well today. I am happy with my level from 1-4, losing only one game in the next nine.”

Despite the forcefulness that the score dictates, the German had to escape an initial 1-4 in the first set, which promised a longer duel than it finally was. Zverev avoided a scare linking six of the next seven games to close the sleeve on his side.

In the second set he prolonged his good moment winning two consecutive games – he filmed a break in the first game – that allowed him an advantage that he knew how to keep until the end of the game to advance to the fourth round of Miami for the fifth time in his career (2017, 2018, 2022, 2024, 2025).

Zverev seeks to get out of Miami as No. 1 the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, the classification that adds the points obtained in the calendar year (since last January 2025).

The German, who is one of the three players even in the painting that knows what it is to play a final in this ATP Masters 1000, became the player with the most games won in this category since 2020.

More victories in ATP Masters 1000 since 2020:

Alexander Zverev: 81

Stefanos Tsitsipas: 80

Daniil Medvedev: 78

Jannik Sinner: 77

Hubert Hurkacz: 69

In Fourth Round, Zverev will face the favorite No. 17 Arthur Fils. The Frenchman overcame some cramps on the decisive set to defeat French Tiafoe for a 7-6 (11), 5-7 and 6-2 battling in an exciting third round clash.

Fils, who let two game points escape on the second set, recovered from a break down in 1-2 on the decisive set by changing tactics to try to hit winning shots as soon as he could. “It has been very hard. When I arrived at the third set, I had cramps and could no longer find the rhythm,” Fils explained. “I tried to relax and play as quickly as I could and hit how strong I could. Somehow it worked,” he said.

The German leads Lexus ATP Head2head against Fils 3-1.

Before the German headed for the round of 16, the first player who managed to sign the victory on this day was Tomas Machac. The Czech found the formula to dodge the 19 direct serves that his rival, Reilly Opelka, to end up celebrating the 7-6 victory (1), 6-3 in an hour and 14 minutes.

Machac won the game No. 50 of his hard track career (50-34) to advance to the fourth round of an ATP Masters 1000 for the third time, after doing so in Miami last year, in addition to Shanghai 2024.