China’s Zhang Zhizhen faced a first-round defeat at the ATP Italian Open after missing two match points against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier. Despite winning their previous encounter in 2023, Zhang couldn’t secure victory this time. In a tense match, Zhang broke in crucial moments but ultimately fell 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 to Altmaier.
Zhang took the lead by breaking in the third game of the opening set, winning it 6-4. However, Altmaier fought back, leading to a tiebreak in the second set. Despite having two match points, Zhang couldn’t convert them, allowing Altmaier to level the match by winning the tiebreak 7-3. Altmaier then dominated the final set, winning 6-4 to claim the victory.
After the match, Zhang expressed his struggles with confidence due to recent poor results. He highlighted the importance of rebuilding his confidence by aiming to win consecutive matches. Altmaier’s next challenge will be against second seed Alexander Zverev in the second round.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner will be defending points at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome after reaching the championship match in 2025. Sinner faces the challenge of defending points at Roland Garros as well, having reached the final in the same year. On the other hand, Carlos Alcaraz will miss both tournaments due to a wrist injury, resulting in a significant points drop.
