Tennis News: Zverev Wins Opener, Shelton Survives Thriller

Alexander Zverev bounces back from recent struggles with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Alexandre Muller in Munich, while Ben Shelton comes from a set down to defeat Borna Gojo in a thrilling match.

Alexander Zverev rebounded from his recent struggles, securing a 6-4, 6-1 win over Alexandre Muller in the opening round of the Munich ATP tournament. The German world number three had faced setbacks after losing to Matteo Berrettini in the Monte-Carlo Masters, which affected his world ranking and preparations for the French Open.

Zverev took control early, breaking Muller in the first game. Muller briefly leveled the set at 3-3 after breaking back, but Zverev regained his composure to win the set in 47 minutes. In the second set, Zverev dominated, breaking Muller three times to seal the victory in just 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Alexander Zverev expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying, “I'm very happy with the match. I want to play my best tennis again - and this was a very good step in the right direction.” This win marks a positive step for Zverev, who has struggled to find form recently, failing to advance beyond the quarterfinals in his last six tournaments.

Alexander Zverev defeats Alexandre Muller 6-4, 6-1 to reach the 2nd round in Munich.

One of his best matches since the Australian Open. pic.twitter.com/udsjXQJOGl

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) April 14, 2025

Zverev will face either Daniel Altmaier or Tseng Chun-hsin in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, second seed Ben Shelton had a tough start, coming from a set down to beat Borna Gojo 4-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(3) after fighting off three match points. Shelton's win was decided in tiebreaks, taking two hours and 24 minutes. Defending champion Jan-Lennard Struff will begin his title defense against Francisco Cerundolo on Tuesday.