Roland-Garros – Ambitious Zverev “Sascha is sure of his strength, he is convinced he can go far” says Becker

It’s always possible to blame Alexander Zverev for not winning a Grand Slam tournament, of course. Like any other NextGen player whose name gets worse and worse as the years go by.

On the other hand, a trial no longer holds with the German: his erratic side in the Major. He has become a real metronome. Of the last five Grand Slam tournaments, he is in the quarter-finals for the fourth time. The only exception, his eighth in Paris last fall, where he was stopped in the eighth by Jannik Sinner. A little sick that day, a little flushed also by his New York fortnight, so he had, all the same, reached the second week.

After his initial mess against his compatriot Oscar Otte out of qualifying, against which he had to overcome a handicap of two sets, Zverev has been good for the moment in this Roland Garros. In the eighth, against Kei Nishikori, he was even impressive and, in this low part of the table without a Grand Slam winner, he clearly has his chance. “I think Sascha has a very determined attitude, you can feel him very confident but without arrogance., judge his illustrious compatriot and consultant for Eurosport, Boris Becker. He is sure of his strength, it shows, and he is clearly convinced that he can go far.”

Wilander: “If Sascha plays like against Nishikori …”

His table was admittedly not monstrously difficult, and with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the next round, while Daniil Medvdev and Stefanos Tsitsipas will have to scramble for the other place in the semi-final in this area, here he is again with an excellent shot to play. Even if the interested party rejects this argument. “Davidovich Fokina is still there for a reason, right?, he recalls. He won four matches. We can give him credit, he deserves it. There is no bad player in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament.”

In full success, the amazing Davidovich Fokina does indeed owe his presence at this stage of the tournament only to his own merit, but the general opinion is that Alexander Zverev will have the fate of this match in his racket again. “Somehow, analysis Mats Wilander, Davidovich Fokina has a game that is very similar to that of Nishikori. He’s very quick on the court, solid on both sides. The only difference is that he plays a lot more cushioning than Nishikori, and it will be interesting to see against Sascha if he plays a little too far from his line. “

“Davidovich is not only very good at touching the dead ends but, more importantly, he knows when to use this option and when not”, adds Mischa Zverev, Alexander’s older brother, a keen observer of his younger brother’s feats of arms. However, Wilander does not see the German being worried on Tuesday on the Chatrier, as long as he keeps his line of conduct: “If Sascha plays like against Nishikori I’m not sure there is much the Spaniard can do to hurt him.”

Has Alexander Zverev definitely changed? Is he ready to make those second weekends a routine for him? Boris Becker is not far from believing it: “You can feel him very determined, and absolutely not nervous. He knows exactly what to put in place when he comes onto the court. He is the one who dictates. He always says he has to adapt to the opposing game, but I don’t agree. From now on, it is the others who must adapt to him. He has so many weapons.”

The current world number 6 waited for his 19th Grand Slam to finally reach the last four. It was in Melbourne, in January 2020. Since then, he has played a final at the US Open. By rising again in the semifinals here in Paris, he would confirm that this glass ceiling is definitely broken. Turn slowly, he is transforming his doubts which, not so long ago seemed eternal, into certainties just as firmly anchored.

There are also signs that do not deceive. Three years ago, it was in Paris that he won his first quarterback in a major tournament. A great joy, almost a relief, at the time. Today, a satisfaction seen as a simple step. “I’m happy to be in the quarterfinals of course, but I think I was much, much happier in 2018, he said. And in a way, it was a problem to be so happy to play a quarterback. Now clearly I don’t wanna stop there.”