MELBOURNE, Australia — 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.

The 26-year-old Zverev is accused of assaulting his now ex-girlfriend during an argument in Berlin in May 2020. 

He has denied the accusation.

German news agency dpa reported Monday 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.

A court in Berlin issued a penalty order in October ordering Zverev to pay fines amounting to $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 own investigation into domestic abuse allegations against him found “insufficient evidence” to substantiate the claims.

Zverev was asked about the accusations — which has rarely been the case — after the match, and whether it was fair that he remained on the ATP Players’ Council.

Zverev said he saw no issues and that he has the confidence go his fellow players. 

“Yeah, I think so. I mean, I think so. Nobody has said anything to me. I don’t have a reason not to believe that,” Zverev said.

Zverev was then told there were “some people” who thought that he should not be playing at all.

“Like who? Journalists are saying that, some, who are actually interested more in this story to write about and more about the clicks than the actual truth,” Zverev said.

Zverev was not the only one asked about the accusations at the season’s first grand slam.

“Any answer that I give, I mean, there’s no good answer to that,” women’s top seed Iga Sweater said. 

“I think it’s up to ATP what they decide. For sure it’s not good when a player who’s facing charges like that is kind of being promoted, but I don’t know what is out there with the investigation or what the case is going to be. I don’t know what the history is with the other cases that he had, if he won or lost. You have to ask ATP what they want to do with that because I am not in the right position to judge.”

Zverev was a finalist at the U.S. 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.”

— With AP