Melbourne (Australia), Jan 16 (AP) Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev won his opening match at the Australian Open on Tuesday, a day after being ordered to stand trial later this year in an assault case in Germany.

The sixth-seeded Zverev dropped the first set before rallying to beat fellow German Dominik Koepfer 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-3 in a night match on Melbourne's Margaret Court Arena.

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The 26-year-old Zverev is accused of assaulting a woman during an argument in Berlin in May 2020. He has denied the accusation.

German news agency DPA reported Monday that the trial will start on May 31, which is during the French Open. However, it cited a court spokesperson who said Zverev will not need to make a personal appearance and can be represented by a lawyer.

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A court in Berlin issued a penalty order in October ordering Zverev to pay fines amounting to 450,000 euros (USD 493,000), but the player contested the ruling which meant the case went to trial instead.

Penalty orders are used in Germany as a means of resolving some criminal cases without going to trial if the suspect does not contest the order.

The men's tennis tour ruled last January that Zverev would not face disciplinary action after its investigation into domestic abuse allegations against him found “insufficient evidence” to substantiate the claims.

Zverev was a finalist at the US Open in 2020, won the men's singles Olympic gold medal in 2021 and is sixth in the rankings.

He led Germany to victory in the United Cup team tournament in Sydney last week but said playing a Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne was very different.

Zverev said he was seriously tested by Koepfer and was struggling for rhythm, but added: “You've got to focus on yourself, your own shots.” (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)