Zverev wins “wild encounter” to reach third round.

Third seed Alexander Zverev beat World no.52 Alexandre Muller 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 to progress to the third round of the Australian Open

He described the match, which “last three hours and three minutes, as a “wild encounter”

The German started strongly, but Müller fought back to take the second set.

The balance of the match shifted several times, including a 35-minute rain delay in the third set that forced the closing of the roof.   

 Zverev had his supporters worried in the fourth set when he called for a medical timeout at 2-1 to address an issue with his left Achilles tendon.

He returned after taking a painkiller and stated post-match that he was moving fine.                                                                                                   

In the third set, Müller frustrated  Zverev by sprinting off for a “lenient” toilet break immediately after breaking Zverev’s serve for 3-2, returning just as the shot clock hit zero.

Zverev didn’t appear to lose his concentration though and secured victory with an ace on match point. 

After the match Zverev said “The first set wasn’t my best tennis, I would say. I was thinking, ‘can’t get worse than that.”

It got a lot better after that for me.”

Zverev, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, lost his most recent major final to Jannik Sinner in Melbourne in 2025..

That defeat marked the start of a difficult season, in which Zverev won only one title and suffered a first-round exit at Wimbledon, amid injuries and mental problems.

But he has started the 2026 season refreshed and hoping for a breakthrough major win.