Alexander Zverev was down match point against Richard Gasquet in the third set of their second-round Rogers Cup match Wednesday. The resulting exchange wasn’t exactly fun to watch, but it was impressive, in the way endurance sports are. The best comparison would be two people pushing the last bite of dinner around a plate until someone finally decides to polish it off.
The grueling rally lasted 49 shots. You’ll think it’s over two different times when it actually isn’t:
“You may not see a better match point save than that all year,” said the commentator, shafting the four that Gael Monfils saved in unforgettable fashion yesterday. To be fair, if you really liked watching an extremely tired man resort to forehand slices and moonballs, this has to be your pick. Gasquet had no gas left and was praying for an error, which a very consistent Zverev did not supply.
Zverev won that game and the tiebreak, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3). He’ll play Nick Kyrgios in the third round this evening. The last time they played was a real good time.