German tennis player Alexander Zverev played an aggressive game to defeat Italian tennis player Matteo Berrettini in his opening match at the BNP Paribas Open to reach the third round of the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.
Zverev hit 19 winners and just 11 unforced errors, and did not face a break point in the match, winning 82 percent of his second-serve points en route to a 6-3, 6-4 victory.
"I'm very happy with my performance. Against Matteo, it was very difficult. I lost the last two matches against him," Zverev was quoted as saying.
"I've struggled at Indian Wells before, but I feel different this year. Hopefully, the results will be different and this is a good start."
Zverev leads Berrettini 5-3 in their head-to-head, and this was the world number four's first win over Berrettini since the 2021 ATP Finals, a tournament Zverev won.
Following his 71-minute victory, the fourth seed will next face Brandon Nakashima, who defeated Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-3, 6-4.
Zverev is a seven-time ATP Masters 1000 champion but has never won at Indian Wells. The 28-year-old's best results in the California desert are quarterfinals in 2021 and 2024.
