Zverev Edges Kecmanovic In Munich Thriller

By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Photo credit: Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Facebook

Home soil provided a wild ride for Alexander Zverev today.

Three-time champion Zverev edged Miomir Kecmanovic 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2) in a dramatic BMW Open opener.

Zverev thrilled home fans charging out to a 5-1 lead in the decisive tiebreaker before closing in two hours, 19 minutes.

World No. 3 Zverev showed his improvisational skills reacting to a net-cord pass pulling off the rare tweener volley and eventually winning the point.

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“It was a tiebreak, so it wasn’t like a show-off shot. It was actually the only way I could have hit it,” Zverev said. “Luckily for me it worked out. I’m not somebody that has a lot of ‘highlights’, I feel like, so definitely one today.”

The top-seeded German avenged his 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(4) loss to Kecmanovic on Acapulco’s hard court in February. Zverev zapped 12 aces against three double faults posting his sixth straight Munich win.

Zverev, who has reached semifinals in four of five tournament starts this season, continues his quest for an Open Era-record fourth Munich championship,

Next up for Zverev is a round of 16 match vs. Canadian Gabriel Diallo. It’s a rematch of Zverev’s four-set win over the big-serving Diallo in the Australian Open first round in January.

It wasn’t all smooth sailing for seeds in Munich today.

Qualifier Alex Molcan stunned third-seeded Alexander Bublik 6-4, 6-2 in 65 minutes. The left-handed Molcan converted four of nine break points.

Lefty Denis Shapovalov smacked 32 winners in a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over eighth-seeded Tallon Griekspoor.

Former Wimbledon semifinalist Shapovalov joins compatriot Diallo as the second Canadian into the round of 16.