By Chris Oddo | Tuesday July 28, 2015
Tommy Robredo battled back from a set down to take down local favorite Alexander Zverev in Hamburg on Tuesday.
Photo Source: Bet at Home Open
One set does not make a victory, and Germany’s rising 18-year-old Alexander Zverev learned that the hard way in Hamburg on Tuesday against one of the ATP tour’s tried-and-true veterans.
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After rallying from a double-break down in the opening set then saving three set points Zverev took the opener from Tommy Robredo. But the teenager ran out of steam against the 33-year-old and eventually fell, 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-2, despite the partisan support from his hometown crowd.
Robredo, who defeated Zverev 6-3, 6-4 one week ago in Bastad, looked to be in danger after dropping the opener against an inspired Zverev. His ailing calf, bandaged by a compression sock, and the ornery, attacking game of Zverev appeared to be contributing significantly to his danger.
Zverev threw everything he had had at Robredo to win a highly entertaining opening set, but he didn't have enough to finish the deal against one of the game's toughest grinders. The resilient Spaniard hit back and made a critical break in the fifth game of the second set stand up to force decider.
In the third set Zverev lost the plot and struggled with consistency as the determined Robredo dug in and kept up the pressure. Zverev’s first mistake—an ill-timed double-fault while facing a break point at 1-all—seemed to open the door for more.
Robredo would widen the gap with a break for 4-1 and he did not look back. The 33-year-old capitalized on solid serving to close it out in two hours and nine minutes.
The 2006 Hamburg champion is finding his form on the European clay this summer. He reached his first final of the year last week in Bastad, and improves to 15-13 on the season.
Robredo will enjoy another rematch in the second round at Hamburg, as Benoit Paire knocked off Philipp Kohlschreiber to set up a second-round encounter between last week’s Bastad finalists.
In other action on the red clay in Germany, Roberto Bautista Agut defeated 18-year-old Borna Coric for the second consecutive week, 6-3. 6-4, while Fabio Fognini knocked off Jeremy Chardy in three sets, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4.
Juan Monaco knocked off the hapless Ernests Gulbis, 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3, to drop the Latvian to 5-17 on the season. Aljaz Bedene and Spanish wild card Jaume Munar were also winners (Munar won after just three games when Guillermo Garcia-Lopez was forced to retire).