Sunday, 5th April 2026
Khabor Wala Desk
Published: 30th July 2025, 3:13 PM
Alexander Zverev made a commanding comeback after a month off the court on Tuesday, defeating Australia’s Adam Walton 7–6 (8/6), 6–3 to advance to the third round of the ATP Toronto Masters.
The German top seed, who exited in the first round at Wimbledon, had taken a break to recover from mental burnout. During this time, he also visited Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca, reportedly seeking guidance and clarity for his career.
Zverev, currently ranked world number three, found himself 4–1 down in the opening set tiebreak but rallied to take the set. Despite facing three break points while trying to serve for the match at 5–3, he was broken. However, he immediately bounced back, clinching victory as Walton double-faulted on match point.
“Sometimes it’s just about winning,” Zverev said post-match. “It was not the prettiest match, though.”
The match included an epic 52-shot rally and marked Zverev’s 499th career win. He will next face Matteo Arnaldi, who beat Tristan Schoolkate 6–3, 3–6, 6–3.
Other Highlights from Toronto Masters
| Player | Result | Next Opponent |
| Lorenzo Musetti | Def. James Duckworth 7–5, 6–1 | Alex Michelsen |
| Holger Rune | Def. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7–6 (9/7), 6–3 | – |
| Casper Ruud | Def. Roman Safiullin 6–3, 6–3 | – |
| Karen Khachanov | Def. Juan Pablo Ficovich 6–4, 6–2 | – |
| Alexei Popyrin | Def. Nicolas Arseneault 7–6 (9/7), 6–3 | Daniil Medvedev |
| Daniil Medvedev | Def. Dalibor Svrcina 7–6 (7/3), 6–4 | Alexei Popyrin |
| Learner Tien | Def. Denis Shapovalov 7–6 (7/4), 7–5 | – |
Musetti Finds Form Again
After early exits at Wimbledon and Washington, Lorenzo Musetti delivered a ruthless performance, needing only 82 minutes to dispatch Duckworth. The Italian struck 17 winners, broke serve with a double fault from Duckworth for 5–1, and closed the match with an ace.
He now faces American Alex Michelsen, who won 7–6 (9/7), 6–3 against Tomas Barrios Vera
Rune Back to Winning Ways
Denmark’s Holger Rune, returning to the court after a first-round exit at Wimbledon, grabbed his first hardcourt win since Indian Wells in March. Against Perricard, Rune stayed composed during a tense first set tiebreak and was clinical in the second.
“It was tricky — not a lot of rhythm. I had to focus on holding serve and wait for chances,” Rune explained.
“I think I was serving very well today.”
Rune kept his unforced errors to just 10, compared to more than double from Perricard.
Other Notable Results
Canadian Misery Continues
Home favourite Denis Shapovalov continued his winless streak in Canada, falling 7–6 (7/4), 7–5 to Learner Tien, extending his home losing streak to five years.
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