French tennis star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard delivered a knockout blow to China’s Zhang Zhizhen at the ATP Dubai Championships on Monday, winning 6-3, 7-6(3) in a match that kept fans on the edge of their seats! 😮💨
The first set saw Mpetshi Perricard dominate early, breaking Zhang’s serve in the fourth game and cruising to a 4-1 lead. Zhang clawed back in a tense sixth game, saving two game points, but couldn’t stop the Frenchman from sealing the set. 🎾🔥
Zhang upped his game in the second set, holding serve like a pro 🛡️ and even threatening a break in the 12th game. But Mpetshi Perricard’s clutch tiebreak performance—racing to a 4-0 lead—sealed the deal. Despite Zhang’s grit, his 2025 slump continues with five straight first-round losses. 😔
Next up for Mpetshi Perricard? A showdown with either top seed Daniil Medvedev or Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff. Meanwhile, Zhang—still Asia’s highest-ranked men’s singles player at No. 49—will regroup for his next challenge. 💪
