By Alberto Amalfi | Thursday, April 11, 2019
World No. 60 Jaume Munar stunned top-seeded Alexander Zverev, 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3, advancing to his fifth quarterfinal of the season in Marrakech.
Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
Alexander Zverev suffered Spanish imposition for the second straight tournament.
World No. 60 Jaume Munar broke three times in a row stunning the top-seeded Zverev, 7-6 (1), 2-6, 6-3, advancing to his fifth quarterfinal of the season in Marrakech.
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Bursting out of the blocks with more energy at the outset, Munar won eight of the last nine points played on Zverev's serve, including a love break to seal his first career Top 10 win.
Four of his five quarterfinals have come on clay.
The 20-year-old Munar will meet Benoit Paire for a semifinal spot.
The enigmatic Frenchman exuded positive vibes and a penetrating first serve stopping eighth-seeded compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-4, 6-2.
Paire pounded seven aces and won 29 of 32 first-serve points in a 76-minute victory.
The third-ranked Zverev was bounced by a Spaniard for the second straight tournament.
Last month, 155th-ranked veteran David Ferrer toppled Zverev, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3, in his Miami opener. Since Zverev lost to Nick Kyrgios in last month's Acapulco final, he's posted a 2-3 record with all three losses coming to players ranked outside the Top 50.
Munar often beat the big-hitting German to the punch just as Ferrer did on the Miami hard courts.
Munar made his presence felt immediately.
Working the width of the court with a pair of cross court forehands, Munar denied break point in the opening game.
Striking with authority, Munar surprised the top seed banging a backhand cross court to score the first break for 2-0.
Both players were playing rallies several feet behind the baseline in the early stages. Stepping forward, Zverev unleashed some venom with a stinging forehand in the fourth game.
Easy power is an obvious Zverev asset, but the 21-year-old German was over-hitting against the speedy Munar in the early stages.
The chair umpire added to Zverev’s growing frustration as Munar hit a drop shot, Zverev ran it down, but it was called not up prompting a brief protest from the German, who argued he got the ball before its second bounce. Replay seemed to support Zverev’s case, but it did not faze Munar, who held for 4-1.
Some members of the crowd began jeering when they said the replay adding audible support to Zverev’s cause, while others chanted “Zverev! Zverev!” trying to rouse the wild card. Zverev zapped an ace answering the calls to hold in the sixth game.
Stepping up to serve for the set at 5-3, Munar streaked forward for a dropper and countered with a clever lob. At 30-all, the young Spaniard tightened up decelerating on a second serve into the middle of the net to face break point.
Munar erased it with aggressive forehands then saved a second break point with a surprise serve-and-volley then earned set point with a crafty drop shot winner. Zverev continued to press the issue with the depth of his drives, converting his third break point for 4-5.
Zverev saved a set point holding to force the first-set tie breaker.
That’s when Munar took charge. Stepping closer to the baseline, Munar twisted heavy topspin into the corners rolling through the tie breaker to take a one-set lead.
Defending champion Pablo Andujar denied five of six break points passing a stiff test from Philipp Kohlschreiber, 7-6 (6), 6-4.
The 33-year-old Spaniard raised his Marrakech record to 17-2.
Three-time champion Andujar has not dropped a set advancing to a quarterfinal vs. Jiri Vesely.
Vesely backed up his opening-round win over second-seeded Fabio Fognini by dismissing Juan Ignacio Londero, 6-3, 6-4.
The Czech left-hander cranked seven aces reaching his first Tour-level quarterfinal since Antalya last June.