The Chinese mainland's Zhang Zhizhen secured a compelling victory over France's Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard with scores of 6-3, 7-6(4) in the first round of the men’s singles at the Cincinnati Open in Ohio on Tuesday.
Both athletes showcased strong serves in the initial three service games of the first set. Zhang capitalized on an early opportunity by breaking Perricard's fourth service game, and secured the set after Perricard's double fault in the ninth game.
In the second set, Perricard adapted his strategy by rushing the net more frequently and maintaining powerful serves, pushing the set to a tiebreaker with a 6-6 score.
During the tiebreaker, Zhang built a 4-1 lead, but Perricard fought back with an improved backhand, tying the score at 4-4. Zhang reached match point first, and Perricard couldn’t convert, leading to Zhang's victory.
In the second round, Zhang will face Russia’s No. 6 seed, Andrey Rublev, marking a significant challenge in his quest for the title.
Reference(s):
Zhang Zhizhen beats Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard at Cincinnati Open
cgtn.com
