No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev has reached the China Open quarter-finals. Germany's Zverev saw off world No. 26 Fabio Fognini in straight sets in Beijing 6-4 6-2. The head-to-head record between the two now stands at 2-0 in Zverev's favor. Previously, the German beat the Italian at the Rome Masters this past May.
Fognini, 30, started the match with three consecutive break points saved in the opening game. Fognini then blew his first two break point chances in the following game. Zverev eventually broke Fognini to take a 3-2 lead before the Italian broke back to make it 4-4.
Zverev, who got a break in the ninth to make it 5-4, made no mistakes on his serve in the 10th game to clinch an inconsistent opener.
Zverev, 20, won five games a row to open up a comfortable 5-1 second set lead. Fognini stopped the German's run in the seventh game but that was all he could do. The No. 2 seed routinely served out for the match in the eighth game.
Zverev converted 4-of-9 of his first break point chances during the match. Zverev also saved 2-of-3 of Fognini's break point opportunities. The match came to an end after an hour and 12 minutes of play.
Zverev plays Rublev next
Zverev is now set to meet fellow rising star Andrej Rublev in the China Open quarter-finals. Rublev, 20, surprised No.
7 seed Tomas Berdych 1-6 6-4 6-1. Rublev made amends for the loss suffered to Berdych earlier this year at the Miami Masters.
Berdych saved three break points before he broke Rublev in the second game to take a 2-0 lead. Rublev got on the board in the fourth game, reducing the deficit to 3-1. One more break of serve in the sixth game was enough for the No.
7 seed to claim the opener.
Berdych just couldn't get the job done in straight sets. Rublev, who was twice down by a break at 3-2 and then 4-3, fought back to make it 3-3 and then 4-4 in the second set. Rublev's third break of set in the 10th game sent the match into a decider.
Rublev, who saved a break point in the first game of the third set, broke Berdych in the fourth game to open up a 3-1 lead.
Rublev also won the following three games to clinch the win in style. Both players were tied at 1-1 after the opening two games of the set.
Rublev hit six aces and broke Berdych five times during the match. The Russian also saved 5-of-9 of Berdych's break point chances. Rublev sent Berdych packing out of Beijing after an hour and 48 minutes of action.
Rublev hoping for another upset
Zverev and Rublev will be clashing off for the second time when they meet in the China Open quarter-finals. Previously, Zverev demolished Rublev at the Monte Carlo Masters a year ago 6-1 6-3. No. 2 Zverev is the favorite to beat Rublev and continue his run in Beijing. It remains to be seen can 39th-ranked Rublev pull off an upset and beat world No. 4 Zverev.
