In a thrilling start to the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, Netherlands, fourth-seeded Audrey Rublev of Russia secured a decisive victory against Zhang Zhizhen of the Chinese mainland, winning 6-3, 6-4 in the men's singles first round on Tuesday.
Despite a strong comeback attempt, Zhang couldn't overcome Rublev's relentless play. After being broken in the fourth game of the first set, Zhang managed to save six set points to keep the set alive, but Rublev clinched the ninth game, leading 1-0 and ultimately taking the match.
The second set saw Rublev maintain his momentum, breaking Zhang's service game early and holding all his serves thereafter. Although Zhang fought back by saving four match points in the 10th game, Rublev's consistency proved too much, sealing the win in straight sets.
On the same day, Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz delivered an impressive performance by defeating home wild card Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-1. This victory marked Alcaraz's revenge for his earlier loss to van de Zandschulp in the second round of last year's U.S. Open.
Alcaraz showcased his resilience despite hitting 40 unforced errors in the first two sets. Van de Zandschulp's solid baseline play and strategic net approaches leveled the match, but crucial double faults in the final set allowed Alcaraz to dominate and secure the win with some dazzling shots.
Reflecting on his win, Alcaraz stated, \"I think [there] were a lot of ups and downs in the match. Being set point down in the first set, I think Botic played a really solid match. Not too many ups and downs for him, really consistent throughout the match. I'm just really happy to get through. [I had to] be really focused in the tough moments, to keep pushing and trust the good tennis will come again. I'm happy to get through a difficult match and have a chance to get better in the next round.\" 🌟
