The newly named No. 1 in the world rankings Alexander Zverev went through a real thriller to qualify for the quarterfinals of the tournament of the “Masters 1000“ series in Shanghai. In an extremely contested and dramatic round of 16 clash, the German prevailed over the representative of Kazakhstan Alexander Bublik after 7:6(6), 4:6, 7:6(1).
The spectators witnessed a real tennis spectacle, marked by total dominance of the opening shot. The two opponents exchanged an impressive total of 35 aces, with Bublik serving 20 and Zverev scoring 15 straight service points.
The victory for Zverev came on a memorable day for him - today he officially secured the first place in the ATP world rankings until the end of the calendar year, taking advantage of the early retirement of Carlos Alcaraz and the physical problems of Yannick Sinner.
Despite the good news, the match against Bublik was far from easy for the world leader. Zverev played with visible discomfort and ankle pain, but demonstrated iron will and character to pull out the final victory in the tiebreak of the third set.
In the next phase of the competition in Shanghai, the German will face world number nine Alex de Minaur, against whom Zverev will seek a place in the semifinals.