World number four Alexander Zverev advanced to the fourth round at the BNP Paribas Open as he survived the stern test posed by 28th seed Brandon Nakashima on Sunday in Indian Wells.
Following a two-hour, 31-minute thriller, fourth seed Alexander Zverev finds a way to come through local hope Brandon Nakashima with a 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-4 hard-earned win, moving to the round of 16 at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
"He has an incredible serve, and you don't think about that," Zverev said of his adversary in his on-court interview. "His placement on serve is probably the best in the world."
Adding: "What he's lacking in power, he's definitely got in placement. I didn't have any chances to break him for the first two and a half sets, and the only chance I had, I used it in the end.
"Definitely happy to get the win because that was a difficult match."
Playing aggressive tennis, the California native made the most of his clinical serve, delivering a brilliant performance throughout.
Nonetheless, it would not be enough to beat the former world No. 2 who escaped an upset.
A tight contest saw the players going toe-to-toe in the opening set, with the American pushing Zverev to a tiebreak.
However, the German player shut down his opponent, capitalizing on the chances the world No. 30 failed to take, surging on top as he found an edge on his second delivery to close out 7-6(2).
As the second set wore on, the 24-year-old stepped up the pressure to go the distance, converting the first break of the match in the 11th game, and holding to love, pocketing the set 7-5 to even the match at one set apiece.
In the lead-up to their sixth meeting at tour level, Nakashima told ATP Media: “It’s obviously a tough matchup for me. He’s beaten me every single time we’ve played so far, so obviously I need to try something different to change that.”
At that point, he seemed on the right path to secure his first win over his long-time opponent, but momentum would shift when it mattered most.
In the decider, the 28-year-old from Hamburg raised his level, sending the pressure to the other side of the net, staying sharp behind his own service while charging at the net to win critical points.
In response, the American player fired six aces across the third set, fending off three break points in the process, but the unforced errors (11) would become his Achilles ' heel.
All in all, the edgy match was decided by small margins, with Zverev breaking serve in the 10th game, taking the set 6-4, and the match, keeping his campaign alive at Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
He finished with 36 winners against 21 unforced errors compared to Nakashima's 40 and 31, respectively.
On Sunday, the 24-time ATP title holder qualified for the last 16 at the Masters 1000 for the fifth time in his career.
Next, he will meet either the 15th seed Flavio Cobolli or former Top 10 Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last eight.