(Reuters) – Alexander Zverev continued to rebuild his confidence on clay with a 6-4 6-4 victory against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday.
The German 13th seed, who suffered a serious ankle injury in the French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal last year, won his second match in as many days for his first steps on the red dirt since the Roland Garros drama.
Zverev broke for 3-2 in the opening set and held serve to take the lead in the contest, before breaking again in the fifth game of the second set.
Bautista Agut, however, stole the German’s serve right back to level for 3-3, only for Zverev to take the decisive break in the following game.
Last year’s French Open Casper Ruud was also in second-round action against Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands.
Later on Wednesday, Russian Daniil Medvedev takes on Italian Lorenzo Sonego.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
