Alexander Zverev will play in the Paris Masters quarter-final. The defending champion faced Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the third round and secured a 6-2, 6-4 victory in an hour and 36 minutes for a place in the last eight.
The German played well behind the first and second serve. He saved three of four break points and converted 47% of the return points into four breaks from 11 opportunities.
Alexander landed 18 winners and 11 unforced errors. He had the advantage in service winners, from the baseline and at the net to control the pace and race over the top.
Zverev forged the gap in the quickest exchanges up to four strokes. Alejandro experienced a setback in the third game of the opener. He wasted game points and netted a forehand on the third break point to fall behind.
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World no. 3 denied three break points in game four and brought it home with a service winner for 3-1. The German held at love at 3-2 and seized the fourth break point in the next one after Alejandro's forehand error to extend the gap.
Alexander served for the opener at 5-2 and hit a service winner on a set point, wrapping up the first part of the duel in 45 minutes. They traded breaks at the beginning of the second set.
The Spaniard denied a break point at 1-1 and remained on the positive side. Zverev held from 0-30 in the sixth game for 3-3 and stepped in on the return in the next one.
He welcomed Davidovich Fokina's loose backhand on the second break point, providing a break and moving 4-3 in front. The defending champion held at love a few minutes later for 5-3 and served for the win at 5-4.
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Alexander fired an ace on a match point, sealing the deal and moving into his 35th Masters 1000 quarter-final.
