Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Top seed Alexander Zverev began his Canadian Open campaign by ousting Adam Walton 7-6(6), 6-4, during which the 28-year-old survived a lung-busting exchange to crucially earn set point in the opener. After trailing 3/5 in the tie-break, Zverev seized momentum following that lengthy rally at 5/5 and found more rhythm from the baseline to advance. Zverev was broken when he served for the match at 5-3, yet quickly regrouped to close out the one-hour, 42-minute match the following game, ATP reports.
A seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion, including a triumph in Canada in 2017, the No. 3 player in the ATP Rankings will continue his quest to add to that haul against 32nd seed Matteo Arnaldi, who defeated Australian Tristan Schoolkate 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Zverev leads Arnaldi 1-0 in their ATP head-to-head series, with their lone meeting coming in Acapulco this year.
Eighth seed Casper Ruud, competing in just his second tournament since Roland Garros, raced past Roman Safiullin 6-3, 6-3. The Norwegian next faces Nuno Borges, who rallied past Argentine qualifier Facundo Bagnis 5-7, 7-6(3), 6-2. After withdrawing from his opener in Washington last week due to back pain, Holger Rune returned to claim a 7-6(7), 6-3 victory in Toronto, his first hard-court win since reaching the Indian Wells final in March. Mewnwhile, Daniil Medvedev overcame lucky loser Dalibor Svrcina 7-6(3), 6-4, but the 2021 champion is looking for more out of his game.
Lorenzo Musetti, who is sixth in the Live Race and aiming to debut at the ATP Finals, also came through his opening Toronto test in straight sets, beating James Duckworth 7-5, 6-1. With his win, the 23-year-old Italian snapped a three-match losing streak after first-round exits in Wimbledon and Washington.
Musetti will next play Alex Michelsen, who edged Tomas Barrios Vera 7-6(7), 6-3 in a tense second-round clash.
