Zverev overcomes Rublev to get his Masters off to a perfect start

Alexander Zverev didn't miss a beat on Monday.

Arriving in Turin with clear title ambitions, the world number 2 and recent Paris-Bercy winner produced a solid match to dispose of Andrey Rublev in just over an hour's play (6-4, 6-4).

Intractable on serve (10 aces, 0 break points conceded, 82% of points won on first serve), precise in the exchange and ultra-realistic on important points (2 break points converted out of 2), the German was slightly better than his opponent in all areas of the game.

Conquering, he joins Casper Ruud, surprise winner over Carlos Alcaraz earlier in the day, at the top of his group. Rublev, for his part, will have his work cut out if he still wants to believe in qualification, as a vexed Alcaraz awaits him on Wednesday.