World No. 7 Alexander Zverev played his first match at Miami Open 2021 against 21-year-old Finnish professional Emil Ruusuvuori. Unfortuantely, with the final score being 6-1, 3-6, 1-6, it also became his last match in the Masters 1000 event in South Florida.

The big upset is a bit hard to believe, especially since the 23-year-old clinched the Acapulco title just a few days ago. However, the courageous battle from the World No. 83 got the better of him.

Surprisingly, at the end of the opening set, the match was as good as over for the Finnish player. However, Emil’s comeback from a 6-1 loss in the first is inarguably one of the unexcepted pull-offs in the tournament so far.

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Ruusuvuori’s incredible fightback against Alexander Zverev

Emil Ruusuvuori reached the R64 after a tight win over Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz Garfia 4-6, 6-2, 5-7. Following that, he had to go through the third seed to make it to the next round.

Nevertheless, the pressure of the match and the opponent caused Emil to stay out of focus, and in-form Alexander Zverev took full advantage of that. Accordingly, after some heavy-hitting, the German took the opening set comfortably with a 6-1 score.

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Notably, the 21-year-old showed resilience and determination in what would be the two most substantial sets of his career. After 1-1 in the second set, Zverev failed to hold a single service game. Even though he broke the Finnish professional twice himself, it all went in vain.

To crush his opponent’s confidence, Emil completed a breathtaking rally at 3-5. Afterwards, the disbelief on Sascha’s face said it all.

The game helped Emil push the it to the deciding set and build the foundation for the first big upset in Miami Open 2021. At the end of the second set, the score was 6-1, 3-6.

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Shocking decider set

The reigning US Open finalist continued to struggle miserably in the final set. Even though he held his first serve, Zverev then lost five straight games to lose the match.

At 1-4 in the decider set, the 23-year-old tapped his right arm and left leg. Clearly, he had been struggling with the free-flow of his groundstrokes as he went on to tap his right arm. Moreover, the fatigue of the consistent bubble-life also took a toll on his performance.

The 21-year-old soared high in the circumstances and pushed the 14-time ATP title winner out of the contention. In the end, Zverev had a hint of relief on his face after losing the match.

Moving forward, Emil will meet World No. 95 Mikael Ymer in a battle for the Last 16. Overall, Miami Open would be looking forward to stirring up similar great tennis matches ahead.

Who do you see as the next big upset in Miami?

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