Carlos Alcaraz won his opening match at the Vienna Open on Tuesday with a straight-sets victory over Karen Khachanov, while Alexander Zverev survived four match points to beat Martin Landaluce in a marathon encounter. The Alcaraz Zverev Vienna Open first round delivered two very different kinds of wins: one controlled, one escaped.
World number three Alcaraz saw off the former eighth-ranked Russian 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in their first-round meeting. The seven-time Grand Slam champion decided to add the 500-level event in the Austrian capital to his schedule at short notice, having not competed in it since 2021.
Alcaraz finds form after Shanghai exit
Alcaraz was sidelined from mid-April to the end of August due to a wrist injury, and has produced mixed results since his return, including a third-round exit at the Shanghai Masters in his last tournament at the start of October.
“I really enjoyed it, even though I had to run, had to fight, had to sweat a lot. We both played great shots, great points. I would say it was a great match to watch and I’m really happy about it,” Alcaraz said after the win, as reported by Geo Super from AFP.
Alcaraz had to dig deep against the 30-year-old power-hitter, recovering from a break down to take the first set. In a closely contested second frame, he prevailed in a tight tie-break with a perfectly weighted drop shot to seal the match. The 23-year-old will next face Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili or local player Jurij Rodionov in the round of 16.
Zverev survives four match points in three hours
Zverev kept alive his hopes of securing the world number one spot before the year-end with a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (13/11) win over Landaluce.
“(I was pushed) to the absolute limit,” Zverev said. “Credit to (Landaluce), he played an amazing match.”
Zverev secured a crucial second break of the 20-year-old Spaniard’s serve in the 12th game to take the opener 7-5. But Landaluce took an early lead in the second set and served out to force a decider. An even set went through to 6-5 for Zverev, and the 29-year-old managed to force two match points on Landaluce’s serve, but the young Spaniard held firm to take it to a tie-break.
Zverev dug in over the course of a topsy-turvy breaker, staving off four match points for Landaluce to claim the win at the fifth time of asking, when the world number 67 pushed a forehand wide, bringing an end to a three-hour-and-five-minute encounter.
Should he win his next encounter against either Tallon Griekspoor or Brandon Nakashima and reach the quarter-finals in Vienna, he will claim the top spot from injured Italian Jannik Sinner in next Monday’s updated rankings, according to the AFP report.
Alcaraz Zverev Vienna Open: what it means for the late season
Vienna has become a late-season crossroads. For Alcaraz, it is a chance to rebuild rhythm after injury and an early Shanghai exit, in a tournament he has not played for five years. For Zverev, it is a direct shot at the world number one ranking, with Sinner injured and the year-end race still open.
The contrast with the week’s other tennis farewell is sharp. Feature Pakistan reported on Stan Wawrinka’s retirement after his Basel Open exit, ending a 24-year career. In Vienna, two players at very different stages of their careers are still fighting for ranking points that will shape the rest of their seasons.
What happens next
Alcaraz faces Basilashvili or Rodionov in the round of 16. Zverev faces Griekspoor or Nakashima, with a quarter-final place and the world number one ranking on the line.
Frequently asked questions
Who did Carlos Alcaraz beat in Vienna?
Alcaraz beat Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) in the first round of the Vienna Open.
Who does Alcaraz play next?
He will face Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili or local player Jurij Rodionov in the round of 16.
How did Alexander Zverev win his match?
Zverev beat Spain’s Martin Landaluce 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (13/11), saving four match points in a tie-break that ended a match lasting three hours and five minutes.
Can Zverev become world number one in Vienna?
If he wins his next match and reaches the quarter-finals, he will claim the top spot from injured Jannik Sinner in next Monday’s updated rankings, according to the AFP report.
