Rock-solid Zverev rolls through at Australian Open

Alexander Zverev was forced to find a solution Wednesday, but did so in clinical fashion to book his spot in the third round at the Australian Open.

The second seed produced a measured performance to prevail 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 over Pedro Martinez and improve to 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series. Zverev adjusted well to the variety in the Spaniard’s game inside Rod Laver Arena, where he attacked the net with ease to win 77 per cent (23/30) of net points, according to Infosys Stats.

“Usually I play 7-6 in the fifth to entertain you guys a bit, [but] I’m getting older so I have to shorten things up a little bit,” Zverev said of his one-hour, 54-minute win. “Hopefully there will be a lot more of that in the later rounds. I really like playing night matches here, I think the atmosphere is even better at night. Every time I get the opportunity to come out here in a night session, I like to make the most of it.”

Statement win 💯@AlexZverev eases past Pedro Martinez 6-1 6-4 6-1 to return to the third round.@AustralianOpen | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/hvWfvsX8fG

— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 15, 2025

Two-time major finalist Zverev may not be satisfied with his unforced error count (22), but the nature of his victory will provide a confidence boost as he seeks to improve on last year’s run to the semi-finals. Last year in Melbourne, Zverev played 21 sets in the lead-up to his semi-final defeat to Daniil Medvedev, but he is yet to drop a set after two dominant triumphs to start this year’s campaign.

Martinez, the No. 44 in the PIF ATP Rankings, moved Zverev around with his crafty slice and effective use of the drop shot, but came unstuck by the ruthlessness of the German when under pressure. Zverev saved all six of the break points he faced en route to reaching the third round in Melbourne for an eighth time.

After a dazzling season last year, in which he returned to a career-high of World No. 2 and won ATP Masters 1000 titles in Rome and Paris, Zverev has made a statement start to 2025. The 27-year-old is now 4-0 after two victories at the United Cup in Perth.

As he continues his quest to become the first German man to win a major since Boris Becker at the 1996 Australian Open, Zverev will next face Jacob Fearnley. The Briton backed up his impressive win over Nick Kyrgios by rallying past Arthur Cazaux 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3.