<figure id="attachment_3300044" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3300044" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3300044 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/d2b50ae2-afp__20260306__2265150700__v4__midres__bnpparibasopen2026day3_cropped_1.webp" alt="" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3300044" class="wp-caption-text">Alexander Zverev said he was happy to win because it was a difficult match. (EPA Images pic)</figcaption></figure>
INDIAN WELLS: Fourth-seeded German Alexander Zverev had to go the distance to reach the fourth round of the Indian Wells ATP Masters on Sunday, holding off a determined Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4.
Zverev didn&#8217;t have a break point against the 30th-ranked opponent until the third set.
He missed his first two opportunities before finally making one count, breaking Nakashima in the final game to seal the victory.
&#8220;He has an incredible serve, and you don&#8217;t think about that,&#8221; Zverev said of Nakashima, who fired 17 aces to the German&#8217;s 15.
&#8220;His placement on serve is probably the best in the world.
&#8220;What he&#8217;s lacking in power he&#8217;s definitely got in placement. I was not having any chances to break him for the first two and a half sets and the only chance I kind of had I used it in the end.
&#8220;Definitely happy to get the win because that was a difficult match,&#8221; Zverev said.
The German gained the upper hand in a close-run contest with a dominant first-set tiebreaker, but the American converted his fifth break chance for a 6-5 lead in the second and leveled the match with a love game.
Zverev improved to 5-0 against Nakashima, a 24-year-old Southern California native who remembers watching Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer play Indian Wells as a youngster.
He&#8217;ll face either 15th-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli or American Frances Tiafoe for a place in the quarter-finals.
World number two Jannik Sinner headlined men&#8217;s action on Sunday, taking on Canadian Denis Shapovalov.
Italy&#8217;s Sinner aims to keep his quest for a first Indian Wells title rolling after dropping just two games in an impressive opener against Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina.
Eighth-seeded Ben Shelton takes on Learner Tien in an all-American Stadium Court clash.
But the real fireworks could come later, when American Tommy Paul faces 19-year-old Brazilian Joao Fonseca in the final match of the night.
Fonseca saved two match points in his second-round victory over 16th-seeded Karn Khachanov.
Paul, seeded 23rd, opened his campaign with a 6-1, 6-2 drubbing of Belgian Zizou Bergs.

MatchPoint Times

Zverev holds off Nakashima to reach Indian Wells fourth round

Alexander Zverev beat a determined Brandon Nakashima 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4.

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