Zverev marks his first match as a major champion by equalling Nadal’s ATP 500 record

German top seed Alexander Zverev began life as a Grand Slam champion with a win and a milestone on Tuesday afternoon, surviving a mid-match wobble to beat Czech Vit Kopriva 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 and reach the last 16 of the Terra Wortmann Open in Halle.

It was Zverev’s first match since winning the French Open, the maiden major that had long eluded him, and his first as a Grand Slam champion on home soil. The victory, sealed in two hours and 10 minutes, was the 121st of his career at ATP 500 level, equalling Rafael Nadal’s record for the most match wins in the category since it was created in 2009.

The transition to grass was not seamless. Zverev won 81 percent of points behind his first serve, but the one service game he dropped came at a costly moment, Kopriva breaking in the 10th game of the second set to force a decider. The world No 3 regrouped quickly. After an even start to the third, he pulled away by reeling off four consecutive games from 2-2 to close out the win. bbcibbci

“I’m very pleased and happy to play my first match as a Grand Slam champion in Germany, but I don’t think that affected me too much,” Zverev said. “It was really the change of surface, and my opponent was really good today. I think it was a difficult match, a difficult opponent, and for a first grass-court match, it was not too bad.”

Compatriot Hanfman next

A finalist in Halle in 2016 and 2017 and a semi-finalist in each of the last three years, he is still chasing a first title at the event.

Zverev will next face compatriot Yannick Hanfmann, who reached the second round by beating Brazilian Joao Fonseca 6-2, 6-2. The day brought upheaval elsewhere in the draw: defending champion Alexander Bublik went out in the first round to Mattia Bellucci, while seventh seed Andrey Rublev was beaten by Hubert Hurkacz.