Alexander Zverev wins 41-shot rally in Halle victory over Robin Haase

It's not often tennis fans are treated to a 41-shot rally, and on grass, the occurrence is even fewer and far between.

On Monday in Halle, Alexander Zverev displayed durable consistency and patience to save a break point against Robin Haase. The two traded a number of crosscourt backhands and mixed in forehands and slices, before the Dutchman tightened up on the 41st shot by hitting a late backhand wide, missing a crucial chance to force a second set tiebreaker.

The second-seeded Zverev, coming off a disappointing opening-match loss to countryman Dustin Brown in Stuttgart last week, delivered two aggressive serves to finish off Haase, 6-4, 7-5. Zverev, a two-time runner-up at the ATP 500 event, is seeking his first grass-court crown. The world No. 5 will next meet American Steve Johnson.