João Sousa wins for the first time this season in Acapulco
The number one Portuguese and 100 in the ATP ranking fought a long and close duel with the German, 280th in the world hierarchy, but ended up taking the best, after two hours and 38 minutes, with the partial 7-5, 5-7 and 7-5.
In what was the third meeting between them, Mischa Zverev, former world ‘top-10’ and older brother of Alexander Zverev (7th ATP), still had the opportunity to move forward in the direct confrontation, when he served 5- 4 to close the game, but the 31-year-old Minho won three consecutive games and took advantage of the only defeat he had suffered against the German, at the Indian Wells Masters 1,000, in 2017.
Qualified for the second round of qualifying, João Sousa will now face the young American Stefan Kozlov, former world junior top-10, who prevailed in the debut to compatriot Jordi Arconada, by 6-4 and 6- 1.
