INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Tallon Griekspoor upset No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev 4-6, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) in a marathon second-round clash Friday at the BNP Paribas Open.
Griekspoor collapsed on the court after converting his sixth match point to end an absorbing 3-hour, 7-minute affair under sunny skies on Stadium One court.
It was Griekspoor’s first win over a top-five opponent in 19 attempts.
“Finally,” Griekspoor wrote with a smiley face on the TV camera lens after the hard-fought victory.
Zverev served for the match in the second set but didn’t get it over the line, and Griekspoor won the second-set tiebreaker to force a decider.
Griekspoor failed to convert five match points while serving up 6-5 in the third, but regrouped to win the deciding tiebreak.
The 28-year-old from the Netherlands improved to 2-6 against Zverev, who is ranked No. 2.
“It was such a mental thing. I lost to him five times last year and had absolute heartbreak at Roland Garros, where I was up a double break in the fifth,” Griekspoor said. “I played so many battles against him and had chances, but they all went his way. I am incredibly proud of myself from this performance, and to get it over the line.”
Griekspoor, ranked No. 43, will face Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the third round.
The loss came eight days after Zverev also was the top seed when he was upset by American teenager Learner Tien 6-3, 6-4 in Acapulco, Mexico.
Zverev has struggled with his form since losing to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final in January.
“I’m just not playing good tennis at the moment. It’s as simple as that,” he told reporters. “I’m not playing a level that I want to play, definitely not playing anywhere near what I played in Australia.
“I’m just disappointed with my game.”
Zverev, who trails Sinner in the rankings and will remain at No. 2 even if No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz defends his Indian Wells title, said he needs to regroup.
“Right now, it’s not clicking,” Zverev said. “I have to find a way to make that happen.”
Fourth seed Casper Ruud fell to American Marcos Giron 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2 in the other big upset of the day.
Giron was ecstatic after shocking the Norwegian, leaping into the air and shouting as the crowd erupted when he reached the third round of the tournament for a second time.
“That was an amazing win. It will be one I look back on with amazing memories,” Giron said. “To do it here at my favorite tournament is special. It was the tournament I came to when I was younger, and it was an amazing atmosphere.”
In other men’s results Friday, Tommy Paul, the No. 10 seed, eased past fellow American Tristan Boyer 6-3, 6-1 in front of packed stands on court three.
Paul, who reached the semifinals at Indian Wells last year, was among the players who fell ill because of a stomach bug last month at the Mexican Open in Acapulco, but said he has fully recovered.
Paul next faces Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who defeated 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
No. 8 seed Stefanos Tsitsipas failed to convert his first match point while his opponent was down on the court but ultimately prevailed 6-2, 6-4 over Thiago Seyboth Wild.
Holger Rune, seeded 12th, will face 18th-seeded Ugo Humbert in the third round after they both enjoyed straight-sets victories Friday.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
