Roland Garros: Alexander Zverev fights back to stun Alex de Minaur
German overcomes five-set thriller to reach French Open last 16
Zverev battled back from two sets down to secure a hard-fought victory in Paris
Alexander Zverev's Roland Garros title hopes hung by a thread on Saturday, but the German fought back from two sets down to stun Alex de Minaur 6-4 7-6 5 6-4 and reach the French Open last 16.
Zverev, the third seed, has won just two matches on clay in 2023, but he showed great resilience to overcome 19th seed de Minaur in a match that lasted three hours and 45 minutes.
The German will now face either Karen Khachanov or Cristian Garin in the next round.
In a match that ebbed and flowed, Zverev broke de Minaur in the third game of the first set and held on to win it 6-4.
De Minaur, who has never gone beyond the third round at Roland Garros, hit back in the second set, winning it 7-6 in a tie-break.
The Australian backed that up by taking the first set 6-5 in the third set, but Zverev regained his composure and won the fourth set 6-4 to level the match.
Zverev then broke de Minaur in the ninth game of the fifth set and served out for the match, securing a hard-fought victory.
Zverev, who is looking to win his first Grand Slam title, will be hoping to continue his momentum when he takes on Khachanov or Garin in the next round.
The Paris dream is over for Alex de Minaur, but the Australian can take heart from his performance against Zverev.
De Minaur, who has never gone beyond the third round at Roland Garros, showed great fight and determination against the third seed.
The Australian will now look to bounce back at Wimbledon, where he reached the semi-finals last year.
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