Top seed Alexander Zverev saved four match points in the deciding tie-break to beat Martin Landaluce 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(11) in three hours and five minutes in the first round of the Vienna ATP 500. He finished it 13-11 when Landaluce sent a forehand wide.
Vienna, Austria: The Erste Bank Open nearly lost its top seed on day one. Alexander Zverev needed three hours and five minutes, and a 24-point tie-break, to get past Spain’s Martin Landaluce on Tuesday, escaping with a win that was a point or two away from going the other way.
A decider without a break
Zverev took the opening set after breaking late, at 5-5. Landaluce answered by winning the second without facing a break point, and the match settled into a long contest on serve. Neither player could break in the third set, and Landaluce held at 6-5 to force a tie-break.
Four match points saved
The breaker is where it became a thriller. Landaluce reached four match points and Zverev saved all four. One went at 6-6, to a big second serve, and another at 10-10, to an ace. Each time the Spaniard stood one point from the win, and each time the German found an answer.
It ended 13-11 to Zverev when Landaluce’s forehand missed the court. Landaluce, whom Stan Wawrinka needed five match points to beat in Lyon last week, has now taken top players to the limit twice in a week.
What comes next
Zverev now plays the winner of Tallon Griekspoor against Brandon Nakashima in the round of 16. He has been one of the most consistent players on tour this autumn, reaching the Shanghai semi-finals earlier this month, and Tuesday was a reminder of how thin the line can be at this level.
Result: Alexander Zverev (GER, 1) bt Martin Landaluce (ESP) 7-5, 3-6, 7-6(11), Erste Bank Open (ATP 500), Vienna, first round, Tuesday 27 October 2026. Match time: 3h 05m.
Next: Zverev v Tallon Griekspoor or Brandon Nakashima, round of 16.
