By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday June 19, 2024
Zhang Zhizhen edged Daniil Medvedev for his second career Top-5 win on Wednesday at Halle.
Photo Source: TTV
Zhang Zhizhen rallied past Daniil Medvedev to book his first Top-5 win on grass on Wednesday in Halle, the 27-year-old world No.42 earning a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(5) win over the 2022 finalist to reach his second career quarterfinal on grass.
Zheng is the first Chinese player to ever reach the quarterfinals at Halle.
It was a strong performance from Zhang, who was on the front foot early against Medvedev, and finished the match with 39 winners compared to 36 for Medvedev.
“It was a really tough match,” said Zhang, who lost to Medvedev in a third-set tiebreak in their only previous meeting, which came in 2016 on the challenger circuit. “When I went to the tiebreak in the third set I was thinking it’s the time, it’s the perfect moment for revenge.”
It was a back and forth contest that lasted two hours and featured plenty of long rallies.
Zhang converted his fourth break point of the sixth game to take the edge in the opening set, and he made it count, as the Shanghai native dropped just two more points on serve for the rest of the set.
Medvedev, 41-21 on grass lifetime with one title after today’s loss, answered back by taking the middle set on the strength of a single break (also in the sixth game).
The decider featured a trade of breaks, with Zhang rallying back from 2-0 down to 2-all, and the set went with server the rest of the way.
With Medvedev seemingly headed for victory at 5-3 in the tiebreak, Zhang snatched the final four points of the match to steal away with his triumph.
That turn of tides left Medvedev frustrated, he slammed his racquet into the grass before heading to the net for a warm handshake with Zhang.
“I didn’t really think much in the tiebreak – just tried to be point by point, and try to fight, you don’t have to think too much,” Zhang said.
Zhang reaches his 8th ATP quarterfinal and second on grass – he will face American Chris Eubanks in the last eight.
Medvedev drops to 28-9 on the season.