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By Alberto Amalfi | Friday, May 3, 2019

 
Cristian Garin

Cristian Garín saved two match points toppling two-time champion Alexander Zverev, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 to reach the Munich semifinals vs. Marco Cecchinato.

Photo credit: US Men's Clay Court Championship Facebook

In a reunion of a junior rivalry, Cristian Garín squelched Alexander Zverev's second chances and made the most of his own denying two match points toppling the two-time defending champion in Munich.

Fighting back from a break down in the final set twice, Garín reeled off 12 of the last 13 points scoring a pulsating 6-4, 5-7, 7-5 victory to reach the BMW Open semifinals.

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The top-seeded Zverev took the court riding a nine-match winning streak in Munich and was twice a point from the finish line when Garin turned it around.

Down 2-4 in the decider, Garín showed fierce fighting spirit. The 22-year-old Chilean saved a pair of match points to hold for 5-all,  winning five of the final six games.

Since bowing to Nick Kyrgios in the Acapulco final, Zverev has posted a 4-6 record and hasn't won back-to-back matches in his last six tournaments. 

A calm Garin served out a two-hour, 11-minute triumph at love, zapping one more drive down the line, to reach his third semifinal of the season.




The Houston champion has won 10 of his last 11 matches charging into a Munich semifinal vs. Marco Cecchinato, who opened today's quarterfinal play rallying for a 1-6, 7-5, 7-5 decision over Marton Fucsovics

Beneath an overcast sky, the pair slugged it out amid heavy conditions.

A pumped-up Zverev fought off three match points in the 10th game of the second set exhorting the crowd to make some noise. 
 




The pair's first pro meeting came six years after Garín defeated Zverev in the Roland Garros junior final.




This time, the world No. 47 used his aggressive court positioning and ability to strike down the line to convert seven of 10 break-point chances.

Garín sometimes exploited Zverev's tendency to drop back behind the baseline using the drop shot to drag the lanky German forward.

Zverev smacked 14 aces and served 75 percent, but won only 8 points on his second serve—10 fewer than Garin.

A German man has won Munich in each of the last three years with Philipp Kohlschreiber taking his third Munich title in 2016. 

The 35-year-old German took the first set from Budapest champion, Matteo Berrettini, 6-4, in today's third quarterfinal.



 

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