Alexander Zverev stands just one victory away from claiming the world No. 1 ranking after surviving a three-hour opening-round battle at the Vienna Open on Tuesday. The German second seed secured a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (13/11) victory over Spanish 20-year-old Martin Landaluce to advance to the second round of the ATP 500 hard-court event.
Zverev Survives Landaluce Challenge in Vienna Opener
Playing on the indoor hard courts in the Austrian capital, Zverev labored through three gruelling sets against the 67th-ranked Landaluce. The defending Vienna finalist faced persistent pressure from his younger opponent, who squandered a break point early in the third set and later erased five break points on his own serve.
The tension peaked in the decisive tie-break. Landaluce built a 5-2 lead and squandered four match points before Zverev finally converted his fifth match opportunity after three hours of play. With the win, Zverev moves into the second round where he will face either Dutch player Tallon Griekspoor or American competitor Brandon Nakashima.
The Equation for the ATP Summit
Zverev needs only to reach the quarterfinals at the Wiener Stadthalle to guarantee he will officially ascend to the top of the ATP rankings on Monday. Already a two-time Grand Slam champion this season with victories at Roland-Garros and the US Open, the 29-year-old secured his mathematical path to the milestone in early October. He is on track to become the 30th player to hold the ATP No. 1 ranking since the computer rankings began in 1973.
The path to the top spot opened further due to the absence of current world No. 1 Jannik Sinner.
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