Australian Open: Alexander Zverev survives Chardy test. Shapovalov wins
. The 15th seed did just about everything right on the court, dropping 11 points in his games and never facing a break point.
On the other hand, Harrison landed in only 53% of the first serve, losing 40% of the points behind his initial shot and playing against seven break points, suffering five breaks to end his run in round two. Medvedev fired 32 winners and sprayed just seven unforced errors, controlling the course of the rallies and the scoreboard to reach the third round in no time at all.
Ryan played well in the opening five games before losing the ground, allowing Daniil to win four games in a row and secure the set with breaks in games seven and nine. The Russian extended his streak to open up a 3-0 lead in set number two, sailing through the rest of the set for a 2-0 lead that pushed him closer to the finish line.
He had it clearly in his vision after a strong finish in the third set, stealing Harrisons serve in games seven and nine just like in the opener to march into the last 32 where he will face the 21st seed David Goffin.
. The 25th seed Denis Shapovalov is through to the last 32 for the first time here in Melbourne, defeating Taro Daniel 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in two hours and eight minutes.
Shapovalov was the more aggressive player on the court, hitting 43 winners and 27 unforced errors, keeping the points on his racquet against the rival who also had more winners than mistakes in what was a high-quality contest.
Denis saved a break point in the opening game of the match and another one at 2-2 before breaking Daniel with a smash winner in game eight and closing it in the following game with a hold at love. The Japanese had a chance to grab set number two, serving well and creating three break points that the youngster successfully erased to reach the tie break that he clinched 7-2 after four mini-breaks.
An amazing forehand crosscourt winner in the fourth game gave Shapovalov the advantage in the third set and he saved two break points in the following game with some marvelous shotmaking that kept him in front. Serving for the win at 5-3, Denis held at love after a service winner that pushed him into the last 32 where he could face the world no.
1 Novak Djokovic. Bolt won just one point more than his rival, converting only five break points from 18 chances and getting broken six times, not enough for Gilles to see the checkered flag first. Simon was 6-2, 4-3 up before losing the last three games of the second set, bouncing back in the third to move ahead and wasting those four break points in the fourth set tie break.
Carried by this momentum, Alex led in the fifth set until Simon broke back, only to lose serve in game nine and allow his rival to secure the win with a hold at 15 at 5-4 and start a massive celebration with the partisan crowd on Court 3.
Playing against each other for the first time since Munich 2017, the rivals pushed each other to the limits from start to finish, with Chardy refusing to surrender until the very last set when he had nothing more left in the tank.
Sascha hit 29 aces and 70 winners overall, also spraying more than 50 unforced errors and gave his challenger 13 chances to steal his serve. Chardy converted three of those but even that was enough to send the match into a decider, saving numerous break points in the first four sets to make the German run for his money.
In the end, Zverev proved to be too solid when it mattered the most, avoiding another early Grand Slam exit and staying in contention for a good result. From 4-1 down in the opener, Chardy climbed back to the positive side of the scoreboard, saving a set point at 5-6 to set up a tie break that Sascha won 7-5 with a single mini-break.
The youngster grabbed one break in the second set, saving a break point while serving for the set at 5-4 and opening a healthy lead that he only had to materialize in the third. Instead of that, Jeremy saved four break points at 5-5 to score a late break and steal the set 7-5, saving a match point in the tie break of the fourth set to prolong the match before Zverev sailed towards the finish line with a double break in set number five.
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