Daily Times

As Fabian Marozsan left the stadium court after his quarter-final exit at the Miami Open, his German opponent Alexander Zverev approached him and offered a reminder of his new status in the sport.

“He told me that if I continue to play like this, which is not easy of course, I can be in the top 10 in the next few years,” said the Hungarian. It was clear that the words of encouragement, after Zverev’s 6-3, 7-5 win, were well received by the 24-year-old who is proving to be something of a slayer of top 10 opponents. Marozsan’s wins in Miami over world number seven Holger Rune and 10th-ranked Alex de Minaur, have made many sit up and take notice of the Hungarian, who will break into the top 40 in Monday’s ATP rankings.

Those wins come after his big win, as a qualifier, in the Masters event in Rome last year over world number two Carlos Alcaraz, which was followed by a win over Casper Ruud in Shanghai. Marozsan was 135th in the world when he pulled off that stunning victory over Alcaraz last in May, but on Monday he will rise to 38th in th world, achieving his target of a top 40 spot. “I’m kind of a new guy…this is still my first year on the ATP Tour,” he said.