Paris, May 28 (H.S.): Second seed Germany’s Alexander Zverev continued his impressive run at the French Open 2026, defeating Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac in straight sets on Wednesday to advance to the third round.

Playing on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros, Zverev overcame Machac 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. He will now face France’s Quentin Halys in the third round.

Speaking after the match, Zverev said, “I am very satisfied with my game. My confidence is good and I am excited about the upcoming matches. Hopefully, I will return to play on this court again.”

World No. 43 Tomas Machac appeared to struggle with fitness issues during the match. In the second set, he required a lengthy medical timeout due to discomfort in his left leg.

Zverev said, “For one and a half sets, the level of the match was extremely good, but the injury slightly disrupted the rhythm of the contest. I’m happy that I managed to finish the match in three sets.”

World No. 3 Zverev maintained complete control throughout the encounter and secured victory in just one hour and 48 minutes, saving the only break point he faced during the match.

Notably, Paris has been the venue where Zverev has come closest to winning a Grand Slam title. Over the past five years, he has consistently reached at least the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, while in the 2024 final he suffered a five-set defeat against Carlos Alcaraz.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar