Sydney’s Chris O’Connell has loved the perfect win of his unheralded profession, beating Olympic champion Alexander Zverev in entrance of the German’s adoring Munich followers within the BMW Open clay-court occasion.
On a bitingly chilly, damp Thursday lunchtime on a gradual clay courtroom, the Australian produced an excellent efficiency to energy to a 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 win in 4 minutes below two hours, fairly ruining Zverev’s twenty sixth birthday.
Zverev wasn’t ranked as excessive as Diego Schwartzman, who was the world No.13 when O’Connell put paid to the Argentine in final yr’s Australian Open.
Yet this victory over the two-time ATP Finals champ Zverev, one of many largest names within the sport even when he has dropped to No.16 within the rankings, represented O’Connell’s best hour.
“Yeah, for sure,” beamed O’Connell, after being requested on courtroom whether or not it was the most important victory in his six years as a professional.
“It’s definitely hard playing Zverev here in front of his home crowd. There was an awesome atmosphere – it was super cold, but I’m happy to get through it.
“I’m positively not ready to play on this climate – that is the coldest I’ve ever performed in, it was powerful! Took me some time to get warmed up.”
The Sydneysider, ranked 82 in the world, was always on the front foot, looking comfortable on the clay, earning an early break and then dominating the tie-break after Zverev had fought back.
In the second set, O’Connell took a 4-2 lead only to be again pegged back by some brilliance from Zverev, twice champion in this event who’s been battling to find some consistency since his return from the ankle injury he sustained at last year’s French Open.
After breaking back for 4-4, Zverev again stuttered, serving a fifth double fault before being beaten by a dazzling cross-court winner from O’Connell and a ripped forehand down the line as the Australian regained the advantage.
The 26-year-old then showed no signs of nerves as he served out to love for the match, with Zverev eventually giving up the ghost with a feeble backhand into the net.
O’Connell will next move on to a quarter-final meeting against Italian qualifier Flavio Cobolli.
In the week’s biggest men’s clay-court event at the Barcelona Open, Australian No.1 Alex de Minaur has also made the quarter-finals after a walkover against Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, who pulled out before their last-16 tie with illness.
It means de Minaur has reached the last-eight for just the loss of a single game, after a first-round bye and a second-round 6-0 6-1 trouncing of Russian Alexander Shevchenko.
On Friday, he’ll face an enormous take a look at in opposition to Stefanos Tsitsipas, who was ominously spectacular in beating Canadian Denis Shapovalov 6-3 6-2.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
