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| Match: Finished | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Zverev (GER) (4) | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| A. Bolt (AUS) | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Completed Sets | ||
|---|---|---|
| Set won by A. Zverev | 6 - 2 | A. Zverev leads 3 to 0 |
| Set won by A. Zverev | 6 - 3 | A. Zverev leads 2 to 0 |
| Set won by A. Zverev | 6 - 3 | A. Zverev leads 1 to 0 |
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Alexander Zverev has brought Alex Bolt’s impressive run at the Australian Open to an end, defeating the 26-year-old local in straight sets.
Final score
Alexander Zverev 6 6 6
Alex Bolt 3 3 2
It’s an Alex-off in the third round of the Australian Open as hometown hero Alex Bolt looks to make it two upsets in a row against German fourth seed Alexander Zverev. Join The Roar for live scores and our rolling blog from 7pm AEDT.
This time last week, 26-year old Bolt didn’t have a Grand Slam win to his name, but the journeyman South Australian has enjoyed an unexpected run of success at Melbourne Park.
First he took out one-time world No.8 Jack Sock in four sets in the first round, before a stunning performance saw him save four match points to knock out 29th seed Gilles Simon in a five-set epic.
The emotional triumph was vindication for his decision to return to the sport in 2017 after a year-long hiatus during which he played local AFL and worked as a fencer with his brother-in-law, and was the crowning moment on an excellent first few rounds for the Australians.
His opponent, 21-year old Zverev, has been hailed as the heir apparent to the dominant trifecta of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer at the peak of the men’s game, but he has so far struggled to turn his lofty reputation into Grand Slam success.
Despite being a force on the ATP Tour, highlighted by clinching the end-of-year finals in London in 2018, he has only twice made it past the third round at a Slam – and never at Melbourne Park.
Like Bolt, he was forced to do it the hard way in the second round, triumphing in five sets over big-hitting Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, but while the German certainly wasn’t at his best, his ranking of No.4 in the world isn’t for nothing.
This would be one of the great upsets in recent tennis history should Bolt emerge victorious – but with a vocal Australian crowd sure to be cheering him on, can a miracle happen?
Prediction
Zverev should really be too good here- players of his calibre just aren’t beaten by players of Bolt’s too often.
And the fate of Aussies Alex de Minaur and Kimberly Birrell in their third-round smashings at the hands of Rafael Nadal and Angelique Kerber respectively has definitely brought the home crowd’s expectations down a peg.
Bolt will fight hard, but Zverev has the class to prevail.
Zverev in three sets
Tune into The Roar’s live coverage of this third-round clash from 7pm AEDT and remember to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
Start Time: 7pm AEDT
Venue: Rod Laver Arena
TV: Live, Nine Network
Streaming: Nine Now, Australian Open website
Betting: Zverev $1.07, Bolt $8.00
Overall Record: Never Played
Alexander Zverev last 10 matches: won 8, lost 2
Alex Bolt last 10 matches: won 5, lost 5
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