Zverev cruises past Verdasco into fourth round in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Jan 25 — Seventh seed Alexander Zverev produced another power-packed performance in a 6-2 6-2 6-4 win over Spanish veteran Fernando Verdasco to march into the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday.

The German broke the 36-year-old Verdasco, who is ranked 51, twice in each of the first two sets at the Margaret Court Arena.

Verdasco, a former top-10 player, broke the 22-year-old in the third to go up 4-2 but Zverev got the set back on serve in the next game and then served out to complete his victory.

Zverev will meet Russian Andrey Rublev, who extended his winning streak to 11-0 for the season with a 2-6 7-6(3) 6-4 7-6(4) win over 11th seed David Goffin earlier on Saturday, for a place in the quarter-finals. — Reuters