PARIS (AFP) - World number three Alexander Zverev crashed out of the ATP Indian Wells Masters on Sunday, stunned in his opening match 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/2) by 39th-ranked American Tommy Paul.
After dropping a first set in which Paul mercilessly punished his second serve, Germany’s Zverev leveled the match with the only break of the second set in the 10th game.
After holding his serve to love three times and breaking Paul in the sixth game of the third Zverev appeared to be heading for victory.
But the German immediately served four double faults to hand the break back and Paul dominated the tiebreak with the same aggression he showed in the opening set.
Zverev was playing his first tournament since he was disqualified from the Mexico Open in Acapulco after losing his temper and repeatedly smashing his racquet into the umpire’s chair.
The 24-year-old Tokyo Olympic gold medallist was fined $40,000 for verbal abuse and unsportsmanlike conduct. A further $25,000 fine and an eight-week ban were suspended provided he does not incur a further code violation for 12 months.
In other men’s second-round action, seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev pushed his ATP winning streak to 10 matches, shaking off a slow start to beat Dominik Koepfer 7-5, 6-4.
Rublev, on the rise after titles in Marseille and Dubai this year, was 4-2 down before breaking 51st-ranked Koepfer twice to pocket the first set.
He finished with 32 winners against the German and won 11 of 15 points at the net to put the match away.
Sixth-seeded Italian Matteo Berrettini also advanced, holding on for a 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Danish qualifier Holger Rune.