For Alexander Zverev, the US Open may be the only Grand Slam where he’s reached the final but it’s at Roland Garros that he’s been the most consistent. The German reached the semi-finals in Paris the last three years and could’ve gone even further in 2022 if it wasn’t for the ankle injury he suffered while facing Rafael Nadal.

This year, he thought his brother was joking when the French Open draw was announced and he was informed he would play Nadal in the opening round. He got over that shock though and did well to dispatch the 14-time champion in three sets. In the second round, he beat David Goffin, another former top 10 player, in straight sets.

Having won the Italian Open title a couple of weeks ago, Zverev has been looked at as one of the contenders in Paris. However, the 27-year-old’s streak was nearly snapped in the third round on Saturday by Tallon Griekspoor. The Dutch 26th seed forced a fifth set on Court Philippe-Chatrier and threatened to cause the biggest upset of the first week. But the fourth seed found a way to come back from the brink and claim a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(3) victory.

It was a tough start for Zverev as he struggled to find his range and kept yelling at his box. Griekspoor hit the ball cleanly from the back of the court and ran away with the opening set. The 27-year-old has two career titles and knows how to beat higher-ranked players. He got the better of Holger Rune at the Madrid Open two months ago and Hubert Hurkacz in Rotterdam in February.

Zverev managed to calm down and cruised through the next two sets. There was, however, a lot more drama left in the contest. Griekspoor won the fourth set to level the match before going two breaks up in the fifth. Down 1-4, it seemed Zverev was on his way out but that’s when he found another gear to turn things around. He broke back twice and forced a tie-break before hitting a couple of clutch winners when it mattered most. After four hours and 14 minutes on court, he heaved a sigh of relief having survived a major scare.

“Incredible match, incredible player,” said Zverev on court. “He’s unbelievably dangerous. I don’t like playing against him and always struggle against him. He’s a fighter till the end. I loved the atmosphere today, loved every second of it. The support I get here, I don’t think I get anywhere else. Thank you.”

Medvedev battles through

Daniil Medvedev too was made to dig deep and often switch tactics by Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac in their third round match. Shockingly, the world No.5 even had his serve broken four consecutive times from the start of the third set. But he was up for the fight and prevailed 7-6(4), 7-5, 1-6, 6-4 to reach the Roland Garros round of 16 for the third time.

Medvedev, whose game isn’t ideal for clay court tennis, knew he had a battle on his hands once the right-handed Machac hit two left-handed forehands to break early in the match. Medvedev broke back but continued to struggle for rhythm. He even went wide towards the tramlines while serving and tried staying closer to the baseline during rallies. In the end, it was his patience that helped seal the opening set.

Machac, ranked 34, was perhaps guilty of going for too much in the tie-breaker. The 23-year-old, who also reached the Australian Open third round this year but hasn’t won a title on tour, lost concentration under pressure and paid the price.

The second set was relatively smooth for Medvedev as he broke at 5-5 before closing it out. Then came a dramatic dip that saw his serve collapse and Machac win seven games in a row. However, the fifth seed regained his composure to win six of the last nine games and close out the win.

“It was a very hard match,” the Russian said. “I’m happy I stayed consistent despite some tough moments in the third set. I knew I was going to give it my all and be ready for the battle. It could have gone either way and I’m glad it was me who got through.”

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