WATCH: Bernabe Zapata Miralles incredible win at the Madrid Open
Bernabe Zapata Miralles advances to the Madrid Open round of 64 after narrowly defeating American star Mackenzie McDonald.
This marked the first time the players had ever met in their careers, which built for an exciting match-up.
Their battle lasted two hours and 39 minutes before the Spaniard could claim a narrow 6-3, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7) win over his American foe.
The stars played some exhilarating tennis, with both showing off some outrageous efforts. McDonald managed to start the match off in full swing by claiming the opening set of the fixture.
Unfortunately for him, he could not keep his Spanish competitor at bay, who quickly replied in the second set with a confident win.
The Spaniard showed off his maturity and confidence by winning four of his possible eight break points, which certainly gave him a leg up over his opponent. McDonald was not as successful on his break points, having converted four out of the possible 11 chances.
The world No. 42 kicked himself into gear, winning some crucial points with some powerful strikes. He claimed his third game of the second set with a fierce forehanded shot before winning the set after a powerful serve that saw his opponent struggle to deal with it, gifting him his first set of the match.
Zapata Miralles provided some intense viewing that would have had viewers on the edge of their seats. The star was able to save two match points against his British foe.
The match ended after the American was unable to produce a clinical strike, which resulted in a rare celebration from the Spaniard, which saw him take his shirt off to commemorate his important win.
The 26-year-old’s victory came as no surprise, having had impeccable form out on the clay courts thus far. He went into the match winning three out of his last six fixtures on the surface, giving him an advantage. Although, his last match on clay saw him suffer a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to fellow Spaniard Roberto Bautista Aput.
Unlike the victor, McDonald has found it challenging to play on the surface this season, which certainly played a role in the American’s defeat. He had only played two matches on the clay court when he went into the match, with his last match seeing him suffer a 7-5, 6-4 defeat to Ben Shelton.
Zapata Miralles is set to take on 19th seed Daniel Evans tomorrow. The British star has proven his lethality on the clay court this season, having claimed five out of his last eight matches on the surface. His last result saw him suffer a 6-2, 6-2 defeat to the Barcelona Open champion Carlos Alcaraz.
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