Zverev hits half-century of Grand Slam wins

MELBOURNE: Alexander Zverev totted up his 50th Grand Slam win when he beat Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic in straight sets to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals on Sunday.

The German sixth seed was tested in the first two sets but found it easier in the third, sealing his 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 victory with an ace.

“I’m happy with the three-sets win, especially in the beginning it could have gone both ways,” Zverev said.

“He was playing amazing tennis, I thought.” Zverev avoided his usual tussle with the 27th-ranked Lajovic, after needing five sets in both their previous meetings at the 2018 and 2019 French Opens.

The 23-year-old has dropped only one set en route to the last eight, where he will face defending champion Novak Djokovic or Canada’s Milos Raonic. Last year’s US Open runner-up is into the Australian quarter-finals for the second straight year as he targets his maiden Grand Slam title.