Cincinnati, Aug 18 (IANS) Alexander Zverev has advanced to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open after a late twist to overcome Terence Atmane 7-6 (4), 7-6 (8).
The German held two match points at 6/4 in the second-set tie-break. Atmane erased the first with an ace out wide, and Zverev committed a double fault on the second one to level the tie-break at 6/6.
The 29-year-old, however, steadied himself, reeling off the next two points to seal a straight-sets victory in two hours and nine minutes, ATP reports.
Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Rafael Jodar defeated Alejandro Tabilo 6-2, 6-1 and the fourth round at the ATP Masters 1000 event, continuing his spectacular 2026 season.
With his 75-minute victory, Jodar joined Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton as the only teenagers to reach the Round of 16 in Cincinnati this decade.
The Spaniard will next meet World No. 10 Flavio Cobolli, who earlier found a late surge to overcome Alexander Blockx 7-5, 4-6, 7-5. The 24-year-old Italian won four consecutive games from 3-5 down in the final set to reach the fourth round at a Masters 1000 event for the fourth time in his career.
In other action, Arthur Fils survived a major test from Jiri Lehecka to upset the ninth seed 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-3. Fils held a match point at 7/6 in the second-set tie-break before Lehecka fended it off to force a third set.
The Frenchman eventually overcame the wobble to seal the win in two hours and one minute.
Fils will next face fifth seed Alex de Minaur, who also survived some drama of his own earlier in the day to defeat Arthur Fery 7-5, 7-6(3). In a match that was thrice disrupted by rain delays, the Australian held a comfortable 5-1 lead in the second set before Fery reeled off six consecutive games to go ahead 6-5.
But De Minaur held his nerve and stormed through a watertight tie-break to seal a straight-sets triumph, ATP reports.
–IANS
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