Former World No. 1 Andy Murray setup a Round of 32 match-up with World No. 7 Alexander Zverev after making a winning return to the ATP Tour by beating American Frances Tiafoe in the first round of the Western & Southern Open 2020. This match will be played on Monday, August 24 with the match timing to be decided soon. Get the live streaming options of this Alexander Zverev v Andy Murray match along with its preview, head to head and tips here.
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Alexander Zverev v Andy Murray Head to Head
The only time the two met before was at the Australian Open in 2016. Murray won in three sets to kick-start the tournament that would see him go all the way to the final, only to finish runner-up to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Will Zverev be Rusty?
World No. 7 Alexander Zverev was in top form at this year’s Australian Open, reaching the semifinal, his first at a Grand Slam event.
Coming into the tournament with three defeats at the ATP Cup, the 23-year-old struck form instantly, storming past his first four opponents in straight sets, before needing four sets to beat Stan Wawrinka in the quarterfinal and break the last eight jinx at the majors. He reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2018 and 2019, failing to advance on both the occasions.
Zverev’s stellar run in Melbourne, however, was cut short by the tournament runner-up Dominic Thiem, who had also beaten the German in the semifinals of the 2019 ATP Finals.
Returning to tennis after five months of forced shutdown due the pandemic, it will be interesting to see if Zverev, who received a first round bye, continues from where he left or shows signs of rustiness against Murray in the Round of 32.
The German though has worked on his game during the break as he hired David Ferrer as a coach and trained with him for over a month in Monaco.
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Murray Returns With A Win
Making his first appearance in 2020, Andy Murray battled past American Frances Tiafoe in a tough first round match at the Western & Southern Open on Saturday. The Scot needed 2 hours and 28 minutes to reach the second round with a 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-1 win.
A former World No. 1, Murray last played on the Tour in October, when he captured his 46th title by winning the European Open in Antwerp.
The 33-year-old three-time Grand Slam champion was stretched by the promising 22-year-old in the first set, needing to come back from 2-5 down in the tie-breaker and then having to save a set point at 5-6 before seeing off the set. Murray was broken once in the second set, which forced the decider that he won with relative ease.
Murray’s last couple of years have been plagued by career-threatening injuries and surgeries, so each time he makes a comeback there is a sense of anticipation among the fans.
According to the official ATP website the World No. 129 was happy with the way he moved against Tiafoe. Zverev will pose a greater challenge though in the second round but it will be a massive boost to the Scot’s comeback bid if he can build on the first round victory and cause an upset against the German.
Alexander Zverev v Andy Murray Prediction & Tip
Even though Murray is a two-time Cincinnati Masters champion, Zverev will have an upper hand in this contest and should win it in three. The German will hope to shake off any rust and make a deep run in the tournament.
Tip: Zverev to win in three sets: 3/1 (bet365)
You can watch & bet on the Cincinnati Open on Monday, August 24 here. Get the latest tennis predictions and tips here.
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