Zverev makes pain-free post-Olympic changeover

Second seed Alexander Zverev came through the tricky switch from Paris Olympic clay to Canadian hardcourt on Thursday, rolling into the third round of the Montreal Masters with ease.

The German who won the Olympic title in Tokyo but went out in the quarter-finals last week at the Games, hammered Jordan Thompson 6-1, 6-1 in just over an hour.

Zverev emerged a survivor on the day after losses by third seed Daniil Medvedev, eight seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and No. 10 Tommy Paul.

“It’s extremely difficult to go straight from clay to cement – you just cannot compare the conditions. Also, the balls here are tricky and hard to control,” 2017 Canadian champion Zverev said..

“I’m happy to be through, but it’s not easy to play a Masters straight away. That’s why there have been some exits from the top guys.”

Zverev’s match with Thompson ended on a curious note, with the Aussie’s black cap falling from his head as he served on a second Zverev match point.

Thompson caught the headgear, interrupting his serve and was penalised a point by the chair, which ruled that the action hindered Zverev.

With a 6-1, 5-1 lead in his pocket, the German offered a replay, but the suggestion was rejected as he got the win.

“His hat fell off and that’s usually a replay,” Zverev said. “But if you catch it, I guess not.

“It was unfortunate at the end.”

He added: “I came out and had to play a hard, aggressive baseline game. When you let him rally he can do a lot with the ball.

“Things worked out for me today and I’m happy to get through.”