Tennis: Racquet-slamming Zverev Survives Five-set Test

MELBOURNE, , (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th Jan, 2017 ) - Rising German teen star Alexander Zverev recovered from a racquet-slamming meltdown to win the first Australian Open match of his hotly tipped career on Tuesday.

The 19-year-old looked headed for the exit when he was down a service break early in the fourth set against Dutch journeyman Robin Haase -- only to surge home in five sets. The 24th-ranked Zverev claimed a 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 win over the 57th-ranked Dutchman in 2hr 55min on a sun-drenched Hisense Arena.

He faces American qualifier Frances Tiafoe in the second round and possibly Rafael Nadal after that. The match and momentum swung in the fourth set after Zverev's frustrations boiled over when his serve was broken and he slammed his racquet twice on the court, mangling the frame.

He received a code violation from the chair umpire as the match began to slip away. "I think letting my frustration out in the beginning of the fourth helped me a little bit," Zverev said.

"You know sometimes you just have to let go.

And then getting that first break back in the fourth set, I really felt like I could still do it and that's how it went then. "If you're down two sets to one and 2-love and love-40 on your serve, there are thoughts going through your head a little bit.

"But I kept playing and I knew I had to keep playing and try my best. I'm happy to get out of that." The great hope of German tennis is the world's highest-ranked teenager. He is the first teen to have achieved a top-20 ranking since Novak Djokovic a decade ago, and the first to win an ATP title since Marin Cilic in 2008.

Zverev also has two back-to-back wins over Swiss legend Roger Federer on his playing CV. He conquered Federer in a classic three-set contest at this month's Hopman Cup in Perth, after beating him in Germany last June.