Zverev struggles but sets personal best

Alexander Zverev had to work to set a personal best, with the German reaching his 500th career match win on Thursday at the Toronto Masters.

The top seed in Canada outlasted Italian Matteo Arnaldi 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 for a place in the fourth round at teh penultimate event prior to the US Open start.

Zverev lost the opening set but regrouped in the second and broke twice in the third to seal victory in just under three hours.

The win was his second this season over Arnaldi after a similar comeback in Acapulco.

“It’s a great achievement,” Zverev said of his accomplishment. “Not a lot of players reach this milestone.

“But I still want 500 more – maybe even more.

“You always want to win as many matches as possible. I’m about about this.”

Zverev was joined in the last 16 by Alex Michelsen, who upset third seed Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 after failing on six match points.

The 20-year-old winner overcame nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances.

“It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work and it’s paying off a little bit. I was wondering when it would happen and I guess it is starting to happen right now.

There was a win for fifth seed Holger Rune, who advanced 6-2, 6-4 result over Frenchman Alexandre Muller.

Eighth-seeded Casper Ruud started slowly but rose to the occasion as he put out Portugal’s Nuno Borges 7-5, 6-4.

Ruud missed Wimbledon with injury and was playing just his fourth match since Roland Garros in the spring.

“I just crawled into the first set,” said Ruud, who came from 4-1 down.

“I was able to get back into it. One break and things can happen. I raised my return game and got more balls back into play.

“In the second set I got the break and served my way through.”