The 2nd seed Alexander Zverev advanced into the Miami Masters quarter-final following a 6-4, 6-4 triumph over Thanasi Kokkinakis. Thanasi qualified for the main draw and scored three victories to set the clash against the German.
Thanasi played almost three hours against Denis Kudla in the previous round and did not have much left in the tank for one of the world’s best players. Zverev sealed the deal in an hour and 36 minutes, dropping ten points behind the initial shot and never facing a break point.
Kokkinakis could not follow that pace in his games, struggling on the second serve and losing serve once in each set from eight chances offered to Zverev. Alexander had 32 winners and 19 unforced errors and had the edge in the shortest and more advanced rally for a place in the last eight.
Kokkinakis closed the encounter’s opening game with a booming serve, and Zverev responded with a forehand winner in game two.
Alexander Zverev beat Thanasi Kokkinakis in Miami.
Thanasi netted a routine forehand in the fifth game and offered his rival a break chance.
The German seized it following a forehand down the line return winner and held at 30 in the next one to confirm the advantage. A backhand down the line winner in game seven earned another break chance for the German, and he wasted it with a loose forehand.
Kokkinakis saved the second break point with a service winner and forced Zverev’s forehand mistake to bring the game home and remain within one break deficit. Alexander hit a backhand down the line winner at 15-30 in the eighth game and closed it with an unreturned serve that sent him 5-3 in front.
Kokkinakis served to stay in the set in game nine and faced a set point after Zverev’s powerful forehand crosscourt winner. Thanasi saved it with a service winner and denied the second with an ace. The Aussie held with a booming serve to extend the set and his chances.
The German served for the opener in game ten and clinched it with a forehand winner for 6-4 in 55 minutes. Kokkinakis held at the start of the second set, and Zverev responded with a hold at love for 1-1. The Aussie opened a 2-1 gap with an unreturned serve and received a medical timeout on his right shoulder.
Alexander grabbed the fourth game with a service winner and earned two break chances in the next one after the rival’s wild forehand. Kokkinakis denied them before Zverev converted the third with a volley winner at the net for a 3-2 advantage.
The German moved 4-2 up after a hold at love and cracked a backhand down the line winner in game eight for 5-3. Kokkinakis extended the battle with a hold in game nine before Zverev sealed the deal with three winners at 5-4 for a place in the last eight.
