By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday October 15, 2020
Alexander Zverev powered past Fernando Verdasco, joining Roberto Bautista Agut and Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals at Cologne.
Photo Source: Getty
The top three seeds powered into the quarterfinals at the bett1HULKS Indoors in Cologne, Germany, with top-seeded Alexander Zverev looking impressive in his debut.
The German, a runner-up at this year’s US Open, polished off Fernando Verdasco 6-4 6-1 to improve to 4-2 lifetime over the Spaniard.
World No.7 Zverev needed just 63 minutes to take down Verdasco behind seven aces and 84 percent first serves won on Thursday, to improve to 16-8 on the season.
“It is nice to be done in just over an hour, especially against Fernando because playing a first match back on hard courts against Fernando can always be tricky,” said Zverev in an on-court interview. “He is one of the most powerful opponents that you can have.”
Zverev’s victory sets up a quarterfinal clash with Lloyd Harris of South Africa.
The No.2 and No.3 seeds also moved through in straight sets on Thursday, with Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime, seeded third, working his way past Swiss qualifier Henri Laaksonen, 6-4 6-1 while second-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut defeated pesky Gilles Simon 6-4, 7-6(5).
Here’s how the quarterfinals shape up at Cologne:
Auger-Aliassime, who finished runner-up at Marseille and Rotterdam in February, is having a solid run of indoor form in 2020. He did not face a break point against Laaksonen today. Next up for the Canadian is Radu Albot of Moldova.
The biggest upset of Thursday was notched by rising Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. The 21-year-old rallied from a set and break down to topple eighth-seeded Marin Cilic to reach his first quarterfinal on hard courts, and second overall. He’ll face Dennis Novak, who defeated Benoit Paire on Thursday, in the quarterfinals.