Zverev rallies past Koepfer in opener

Can Alexander Zverev build on United Cup glory with a deep run at the Australian Open?

The No. 6 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings made a largely confident start to his campaign at the opening Grand Slam of the season on Tuesday evening in Melbourne, where he downed his fellow German Dominik Koepfer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(3), 6-3.

“In the beginning I wasn’t playing my best,” said Zverev in his on-court interview after his three-hour, 12-minute win. “I think I had a great tournament at the United Cup in Sydney, but then it is obviously very different coming here to Melbourne and playing at a Grand Slam.

“Especially in the first few rounds it is never easy, but you have to focus on yourself, focus on your own shots and focus on finding your rhythm somehow, and I did.”

Having opened 2024 by helping Germany triumph at the second edition of the United Cup, Zverev powered 50 winners, including 18 aces to improve to 5-1 for the season and extend his Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against Koepfer to 3-0.

“When the draw comes out and you see you’re playing a German, you always wish well for your own countrymen,” said Zverev. “You’re playing one of your own, and he is playing extremely well. He just won a tournament in Canberra and he’s been recovering from injury as well… Credit to him because he played fantastic.”

The 26-year-old Zverev, whose best showing at Melbourne Park is a semi-final run in 2020, will next take on Slovakian qualifier Lukas Klein, who earlier defeated Soonwoo Kwon 7-6(0), 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.