Zhang Zhizhen of China has advanced to the quarterfinals of the Hamburg Open after defeating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-1, 7-6(5) in a compelling singles match held on Thursday in Hamburg, Germany.
Entering the match with a 1-1 record in their previous encounters, both players had secured a victory against the other. Cobolli triumphed in their last meeting at the Firenze Open on a hard court in October 2022, while Zhang prevailed on clay at the Biella 6 Challenger in May 2021.
Displaying exceptional form, Zhang dominated the first set with three service breaks. He continued his momentum into the second set, quickly establishing a 3-0 lead. However, Cobolli demonstrated resilience, battling back to level the score and push the set to a tiebreak.
In the decisive tiebreak, Zhang maintained his composure to secure the set and the match, earning his place in the quarterfinals. He is set to face the tournament’s top seed, Alexander Zverev of Germany, who overcame France’s Hugo Gaston 4-6, 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday. This will mark the first meeting between Zhang and Zverev.
The other quarterfinal matchups include Francisco Cerúndolo (Argentina) versus Pedro Martínez (Spain), Luciano Darderi (Italy) against Sebastian Báez (Argentina), and Arthur Fils (France) facing Holger Rune (Denmark).
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Zhang Zhizhen of China advances to quarterfinals at Hamburg Open
cgtn.com
