Alexander Zverev is off to a winning start in Beijing. World no. 3 faced Lorenzo Sonego in the first round and earned a 6-4, 6-3 victory in an hour and a half. The German is the 2nd seed in Beijing and Jannik Sinner's most dangerous rival.
Alexander served at 82% and dropped 12 points in ten service games. He got broken once from the only break chance offered to his rival and kept the pressure on the other side.
Lorenzo could not follow that pace. The Italian gave away 44% of the points in his games and suffered three breaks from four chances presented to the favorite.
Zverev landed 23 winners and 13 unforced errors. He had the upper hand in service winners, from the baseline and at the net, outplaying the opponent who also landed more direct points than mistakes.
The German had the upper hand in the shortest, mid-range and most advanced exchanges, earning his victory and reaching the last 16. Alexander served well in the opener.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sonego stayed in touch and held in the eighth game after an ace to lock the result at 4-4. Zverev closed the ninth game at 15 and made a push on the return in the next one.
He landed a backhand down the line winner for three set points and claimed an entertaining point on the first to compete the opener in 51 minutes. The favorite pushed strong in the second set and provided three holds at love.
He fireda forehand crosscourt winner in the fourth game for a break chance and drew the rival's mistake to open a 3-1 advantage. Alexander painted another forehand winner in the fifth game and extended the gap.
The Italian hit a double fault in the sixth game and suffered a break to fall 5-1 behind. Zverevserved for the win in game seven and experienced a break after Sonego's forehand winner.
ADVERTISEMENT
Lorenzo landed a backhand winner in the eighth game to reduce the deficit to 5-3. However, Alexander landed an ace in the ninth game to seal the deal and make a winning start.
