Acapulco
Kecmanovic shocks Zverev in Acapulco: ‘I did not have any strain’
Tiafoe saves 2 MPs; Atmane, Cobolli, Vacherot all advance to QFs
February 26, 2026
Manuel Velasquez/Getty Photographs
Miomir Kecmanovic stuns Alexander Zverev in a third-set tie-break in Acapulco.
By ATP Employees
Miomir Kecmanovic earned the primary High 5 win of his profession Wednesday when he upset World No. 4 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-7(3), 7-6(4) on the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC.
The 26-year-old entered the match 0-11 towards High 5 gamers within the PIF ATP Rankings, but discovered a few of his finest tennis towards the 2021 champion to succeed in the quarter-finals.
“It feels superb, particularly as a result of it has been a tough couple of years,” stated Kecmanovic, the No. 84 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings. “So I am completely satisfied that some issues are going my approach lastly.”
Kecmanovic struck his backhand confidently and took benefit of Zverev’s deep return positioning, opening the court docket and holding his floor towards the German’s normally dependable two-handed backhand. Zverev completed with 17 backhand unforced errors, in comparison with Kecmanovic’s six.
“I assume I used to be extra aggressive when it mattered. I served quite a bit higher than my normal requirements, so I am completely satisfied that issues went effectively at the moment,” Kecmanovic stated. “Clearly he is the massive favorite, so I did not have any strain there, however you continue to need to play effectively when it issues, shut out the match and fortunately it went my approach.”
The Serbian improved to 2-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head collection with the 24-time tour-level titlist. Into the final eight on the hard-court ATP 500, Kecmanovic will face French lefty Terence Atmane for the primary time. Atmane overcame wild card Rafael Jodar 6-2, 4-6, 6-1.
Eighth seed Frances Tiafoe then saved two match factors to defeat Aleksandar Kovacevic in an all-American late-night thriller in Acapulco. Tiafoe trailed 4/6 within the deciding-set tie-break, however delivered a gutsy finale to prevail 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7) and advance to the quarter-finals. Subsequent up for Tiafoe is Mattia Bellucci, who upset fourth seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 6-3.
Watch Prolonged Highlights of Day 3 motion in Acapulco:
In different motion, fifth seed Flavio Cobolli downed Dalibor Svrcina 6-4, 6-4. Cobolli gained 86 per cent (37/43) of his first-serve factors and saved all six break factors he confronted, in response to Infosys ATP Stats. Cobolli will subsequent meet China’s Wu Yibing, who overcame Japan’s Sho Shimabukuro 6-3, 7-6(4).
American Brandon Nakashima ousted countryman Patrick Kypson 6-4, 6-4 to earn his one hundredth tour-level hard-court win. Kypson upset second seed Alex de Minaur in a deciding-set tie-break within the earlier spherical.
Nakashima can stay up for a quarter-final conflict with sixth seed Valentin Vacherot after the Monegasque beat Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3. Monfils, who’s enjoying his closing season on the ATP Tour, earned his first win of 2026 by defeating Damir Dzumhur within the first spherical in Acapulco.
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