Tallon Griekspoor delivered the biggest victory in his career by recording a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victory over top seeds Alexander Zverev on Friday in the second round of the GDP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.
It first marks Griekspoor has ever noted a victory over a top-five player. Zverev is ranked second in the world and Griekspoor is No. 43.
Griekspoor, from the Netherlands, had an edge of 39-32 in the winner and overcame 53 unmatched errors and nine double errors. Zverev from Germany made 39 errors and converted only five of 14 breaking points.
It was not easy for Griekspoor to end the upset in the match which took three hours and eight minutes.
Griekspoor overcame a deficit of 5-4 in the third set to proceed. Then it was his opportunity to serve the match.
But he failed to convert an astonishing five match score before Zverev forced Tiebreaker.
Zverev had a 3-2 lead in Tiebreaker and it was later tied at 4-4 before Griekspoor won the last three points to move on to the third round. He will meet No. 29 Seed Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in France.
Griekspoor was proud of the upset because he had lost six of his previous seven matches against Zverev, including four 2024 alone.
“I’ve played so many fight against him,” Griekspoor said on the court after the victory. “I had chances in them all and they all went his way. I am extremely proud of myself with this performance today and to finally get over the line.”
The matchup that got stuck with Griekspoor most was to let a fifth set of leadership get away in the third round of last year’s French Open and eventually lose in a tiebreaker.
“It was a mental thing,” said 28-year-old Griekspoor. “An absolute heart injury to Roland Garros when I was up a double break in fifth.”
This was Griekspoo’s second big win this season. He beat Top-seeded Daniil Medvedev, ranked sixth in the world, in the Dubai quarter final last month.
Mpetshi Perricard advanced when Hungarian Fabian Marozsan retired after the first set due to a foot injury. Mpetshi Perricard won the first set, 6-4.
No. 10 Seed Tommy Paul converted 5 out of 7 break points while cruising to a 6-3, 6-1 victory over other American Tristan Boyer.
No. 18 Seeds Ugo Humbert of France struck by Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-3, Frenchman Quentin Hales beat Spain Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-4 and Argentina’s Mariano Navone was a 7-5, 6-4 winner over Learner Tien.
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