Zverev upsets Wawrinka in Miami, sets up Kyrgios rematch

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  • Oozing confidence: Sascha Zverev.

    Veterans like Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal may be enjoying an incredible resurgence this season that’s solidifying the notion that 30 is the new 20. But on the opposite side of the age spectrum, players like Alexander “Sascha” Zverev are making a strong case for the teenagers on tour.

    The 19-year-old German is at the forefront of the ATP’s ‘NextGen’ campaign and he has so far lived up to the hype.

    On Tuesday in Miami, Zverev posted the fifth top-10 victory of his career to take out No1 seed Stan Wawrinka and reach the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 tournament for the first time.

    His 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Wawrinka, was his second win over the Swiss, having also defeated him in the St. Petersburg final last September.

    On Thursday, the world No20 takes on fellow NextGen star Nick Kyrgios in a rematch of their third round in Indian Wells contested earlier this month.

    Zverev, who grew up in the world of tennis accompanying his older brother Mischa around the tour, was on the verge of exiting Miami in the third round against the massive-serving John Isner. But the young German battled back from a set down and saved three match points to move in the last 16, where he fought off Wawrinka.

    “I was maybe quarter of an inch away to being out of the tournament, so maybe I was a bit lucky,” the 198cm Zverev told reporters in Miami.

    “I had to use the opportunity. I knew I got a second chance in this tournament, so I’m really happy that I used it.”

    He certainly did!

    Zverev showed great maturity against Wawrinka by adjusting his tactics after dropping the opening set and getting a head-start on the top seed in the second. He saved four of the break points he faced and broke the Wawrinka serve five times in their one-hour, 44-minute affair.

    “He was the No1 seed, but the matches will not get easier,” said Zverev, who lost to Kyrgios in Indian Wells two weeks ago.

    “I played well in the second and third (against Wawrinka). I turned it around a little bit. I had to be aggressive. I felt like he was the one controlling all the points all the time, so I had to change that. It worked out well for me. Happy to be in the quarter-finals now. Hopefully I can play as great as I did today after tomorrow as well.”

    Wawrinka’s defeat coincided with his 32nd birthday but the world No3, who had reached the final of Indian Wells a week earlier, insists his month in the United States had been a positive one, despite the setback against Zverev.

    “For sure it’s a disappointing match,” said Wawrinka, who lost to Federer in the final in the California desert last week. “One bad game to start the second set and then it was tough for me. I don’t know. I completely went down physically and mentally, and also my tennis was completely out. I had no more gas.”

    On his takeaway from Indian Wells and Miami, he added: “I think for sure it can be only positive. Making the final in Indian Wells is a big result for me. But most important is my level in general. I think I’ve been practicing really well. My level is really high when I’m feeling fit physically and fresh mentally. That’s what I have to take for the next few weeks.”

    Kyrgios is a good friend of Zverev’s – they played doubles together in the past – and the pair are renowned for their big games, confidence, and the high-profile scalps they’ve previously claimed.

    The 21-year-old Aussie is 1-0 head-to-head against Zverev and reached the quarter-finals thanks to a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over eighth-seeded David Goffin.

    With one clash highlighting the tour’s young talent, Thursday’s other quarter-final in Miami is about two veterans – the 35-year-old Federer and 31-year-old Tomas Berdych.

    Federer was pushed to his limits by Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut before he came through 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) on Tuesday to take his 2017 record to a remarkable 16-1.

    The 18-time grand slam champion is currently on a nine-match winning streak and is having a sensational season in which he has won the Australian Open and Indian Wells.

    “I think I play different to when I was 24. I think my technique has changed from when I was 19,” said Federer.

    “Is it the best I’ve ever played? For me it’s hard to say yes to that question, because the years where – I mean, I lost four matches or three matches, four matches, five matches the following year, in those two years I won like 150 matches and lost like eight or nine. It’s hard to feel better than in that time.

    “But I feel like maybe on the offensive side, overall, I think I’m doing definitely a few things better than I ever have. That’s what I’ve always tried to explain to people, that I do feel that I have improved. The game has evolved and I had to adjust and change, but overall I do believe I’m probably a better player than I was 10 years ago.”

    Federer, ranked No6, leads Berdych, the world No14, 17-6 head-to-head.

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