Rublev Dominates Opening Match
Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev secured a decisive 6-3, 6-4 victory over China's Zhang Zhizhen at the ABN AMRO Open on Tuesday. Despite Zhang’s gritty defense, saving six set points in the opener and four match points in the second set, the world No. 5’s consistent serves and aggressive baseline play proved insurmountable. Zhang, who has now lost all four meetings against Rublev, struggled with unforced errors at critical moments.
Alcaraz Edges Dutch Challenge
Top seed Carlos Alcaraz overcame a shaky start to defeat Dutch wildcard Botic van de Zandschulp 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-1. The Spaniard, avenging his 2023 U.S. Open loss to Van de Zandschulp, battled 40 unforced errors in the first two sets before finding rhythm in the decider. \"I had to trust my game in the tough moments,\" said Alcaraz, highlighting his focus under pressure.
Van de Zandschulp’s eight double faults, including a costly error on set point in the opener, undermined his otherwise strong net play. Alcaraz now moves to the next round aiming to build momentum.
Reference(s):
Zhang Zhizhen loses to Andre Rublev in first round at ABN AMRO Open
cgtn.com
