Alexander Zverev admitted after his first-round win at the 2024 US Open that he complicated that match too much, but he didn't repeat the same thing in his second match, winning in straight sets.
Zverev faced compatriot Maximilian Marterer in the first round, beating him in four sets. He wanted to avoid dropping that one set in this match, and he did by beating Alexandre Muller in three sets.
It was a complicated matchup because the French player is very streaky and has solid weapons, which can trouble any player, and he showed it in this match as well. The German player opened with an early break of serve, as Muller was slow to get into the match.
However, once he did, the former World No. 2 player was pushed quite a bit, causing him to lose that one-break advantage. Eventually, he got it back and won the opening set 6-4.
It was a match counted from the baseline. Both players were quite aggressive and hit the ball hard, but Zverev was able to control it a bit better. He finished the opening set with 12 winners and 12 unforced errors, a better mark than Muller's 10 and 16.
The second set followed a similar playbook as it was another close and competitive set. Zverev largely had no trouble with his serve, cruising through the games without too many problems.
His opponent had to save a couple of break points, which he did, eventually getting himself to a tie-break. Muller played well towards the end of that set, which is why he was the first to get a mini-break in the tie-break.
He took a 3-1 lead and then added to it to make it 5-2. However, then came the unfortunate sequence for the French player, as he lost five points in a row, which ensured that Zverev won the set.
In many ways, that ended the match because it was just a huge missed chance for Muller, who never quite recovered after that. As expected, his level dropped quite a bit in the final set.
As a result, Zverev was able to jump out to a 4-1 lead, upon which he added another break, winning the third set of the match 6-1. The match ended quickly towards the end, but for a good part of it, it was competitive.
Muller played a decent match. He served on a solid level, opting for an aggressive approach to try to hit through his opponent. It's not the best tactic against Zverev, as he's so good at countering that, but Muller had chances with this approach.
Had he won that second set, things could have gone quite differently. To his credit, Zverev played a balanced match overall. He served well, hitting 15 aces and only two double faults. He also dominated on his serve.
The Geman finished with 43 winners and 29 unforced errors, which is a good mark. The final score was 6-4, 7-6(5), 6-1.
Alexander Zverev vs Alexandre Muller Match Stats:
| Alexander Zverev | Alexandre Muller | |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Aces | 4 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 1 |
| 64% | First Serve % | 64% |
| 84% (46/55) | Points Won After First Serve % | 66% (48/73) |
| 55% (17/31) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 44% (18/41) |
| 33% (4/12) | Break Point Conversion | 50% (1/2) |
| 43 | Winners | 27 |
| 29 | Unforced Errors | 41 |
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