World number two Alexander Zverev was taken to the limit by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a gripping Madrid Open third-round clash.

After dropping the first set, Zverev rallied from a break down in the second to down the home hopeful 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-0) in a blockbuster that lasted two hours and 44 minutes. 

Davidovich Fokina started emphatically in the contest, earning back-to-back breaks of serve in the first set, before the pair traded blows in an intriguing second. 

The German clinched the tie-break to take the encounter the distance, with Zverev failing to serve out at 5-4 to give his opponent a fighting chance of an unlikely upset. 

But Zverev remained composed, clinching the victory in a dominant tie-break to keep his hopes of a third Madrid title, and increase his winning streak to seven matches. 

With a 25th win at the Madrid Open, Zverev became the second player born since 1990 to claim 25 or more at a single ATP Masters 1000 event, after Grigor Dimitrov (26 at the Monte-Carlo Masters).

"The first set wasn't my best tennis, but it is a sport that can change quickly," Zverev said. "I was down a set and a break, and I had to fight.

"I am very happy with the win. Alejandro is playing unbelievable tennis, the best of his life, so I am happy to be through."

Indeed, only Roger Federer (26) has won more of his first 30 matches in the men's singles at the Madrid Open than Zverev (25), who faces Francisco Cerundolo next. 

25 - Only Roger Federer (26) has won more from his first 30 matches in Men's Singles at the Madrid Masters than Alexander Zverev (25). Topper. #MMOpen | @MutuaMadridOpen @atptour@ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/6P8MWKKx5x

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) April 27, 2025

Zverev will be joined by Daniil Medvedev in the next round after he overcame Juan Manuel Cerundolo in straight sets. 

The 29-year-old emerged a 6-2 6-2 victor over the Argentine, reaching the fourth round of the competition and will face Brandon Nakashima, who earlier beat Bucharest champion Flavio Cobolli. 

"I felt good in practice here, but it’s not the same in a match," said Medvedev after his 62-minute win. "Practice courts are usually a tiny bit different to the centre court.

"For sure, [I was] a bit nervous because we have a small superstition as tennis players that, the worse you play before the tournament, the better you play in it, and the better you play before, the worse you play in the matches. 

"But I overcame this superstition four years ago, so I was looking forward to implementing the game I had in practice. I'm happy with my level."

Earlier, Andrey Rublev's title defence came to an end after a 4-6 6-0 6-4 defeat by Alexander Bublik. 

Since the event's inauguration in 2002, Bublik became only the second player to eliminate the reigning men's singles champion in their opening match, after Luis Horna (2004).

It was also his first ATP top-10 win at a Masters 1000 event, having come into the contest with a 0-7 career win-loss record.