Zverev, having split the first two sets against Croatian Coric, served his way out of trouble in the first game of the third set and fended off a break point while serving up 5-3 en route to the hard-fought win.
The German, who fired down 12 aces and only committed one double fault, said his more aggressive approach was the difference in the contest.
“The last few matches I was losing close three-set matches because I felt I wasn’t going for it,” said Zverev, who fell to Tommy Paul in a tight three setter in the second round of Indian Wells earlier this month.
“Today I felt like if I’m going to lose, I’m going to go for it. That worked out and hopefully it will in the next match as well.”
Zverev said he will have his hands full when he faces either American Mackenzie McDonald or Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov in the third round.
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“Grigor is playing extremely well right now. He made the quarter-finals at Indian Wells, playing at an extremely high level, but Mackie is good on the fast surfaces, which it is here,” he said.
Elsewhere Italy’s ninth seed Jannik Sinner beat Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland in the best match of the tournament so far, rifling a forehand service return winner to seal a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(8) victory.
World No.11 Sinner will next face Pablo Carreno Busta, who beat David Goffin of Belgium 6-3 6-2.
Frenchman Hugo Gaston overcame 22 aces from American John Isner to advance 7-6(5), 6-4 and 10th seed Cameron Norrie came out on the winning side of an all British battle with Jack Draper 7-6(5), 6-4 at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Kyrgios’ fine came for his antics after his quarter-final loss to Rafael Nadal in California when he nearly hit a ball boy after smashing his racket and yelling an audible obscenity.
Following his 7-6(0), 5-7, 6-4 defeat, Kyrgios smashed his racket into the ground and it bounced and nearly struck a ball boy. The 28-year-old also swore at a fan during the match as he repeatedly clashed with the crowd and the chair umpire.
Kyrgios was fined $20,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct and $5000 for an audible obscenity, an ATP spokesperson said in a statement.
Nick Kyrgios smashes his racquet during his match against Rafael NadalCredit:Getty Images
Nadal said after the match that the ATP needed to review things and make decisions to avoid a repeat of similar incidents and a number of players have called for stiffer penalties to curb outbursts after a series of incidents in recent matches.
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American Jenson Brooksby threw his racket in frustration and accidentally hit a ball boy during his first-round win over Federico Coria at this week’s Miami Open, for which he received a point penalty instead of a default.
Last month, world No.4 Zverev received a one-year probation following an expletive-filled tantrum at the ATP 500 event in Acapulco, where he smashed his racket against the umpire’s chair and verbally abused him.
Zverev, who was expelled from the tournament, was fined $40,000 and forfeited more than $31,000 in prize money before being handed a suspended eight-week ban and being fined an extra $25,000 by the ATP following a review.
Reuters
‘I just played the right way:’ Kyrgios thumps Rublev 6-3, 6-0
Source: Philippines Alive
