Shanghai Masters: Zverev wins ATP comeback

Alexander Zverev has returned after his short break from tournaments with a victory on the ATP tour. The German number one won confidently against the Italian Mattia Bellucci in Shanghai 6:4, 6:2 in 96 minutes and made it into the third round.

It was Zverev’s first match after he was known to have suffered from pneumonia. At the start of the Masters 1000 tournament, he had a bye as number two on the seeding list.

Zverev start in Shanghai – despite pneumonia

After the Laver Cup in Berlin, the 2021 Olympic champion decided not to start in Beijing for health reasons and revealed that he had pneumonia. “The problem I have with my lungs isn’t going to go away in a week or two. This will probably take a month or two“, he said. Nevertheless, the doctors assured him that his health would not worsen if he played sports.

In his game against qualifier Bellucci, Zverev was the clear favorite. He had a hard time in the first set, the world number 101. to take off the serve. After the break to 4:3, the Hamburg player safely secured the first set.

The second round developed into a clear affair with two breaks to make it 1-0 and 4-1. It is still unclear who the favorite will face in the fight for a place in the round of 16. His next opponent is either Australian Jordan Thompson or Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands.