Rainer Schüttler and Nicolas Kiefer? He has long since left behind. Tommy Haas? He cashed in that year. In the autumn of his best season so far, Alexander Zverev is now targeting the next great German tennis player: In Vienna, the Olympic champion could catch up with Michael Stich with another victory.
Zverev will reach for his 18th professional title on Sunday (2 p.m. / Sky), as Stich, Wimbledon winner in 1991, has won in his entire career. Zverev is the favorite in the final in the Wiener Stadthalle against Frances Tiafoe (USA), the 6: 3, 6: 3 against the Spanish talent Carlos Alcaraz left little to be desired.
Nevertheless, Zverev expects “a very difficult match. Frances is playing the tennis of his life right now, “said the 24-year-old from Hamburg on Sky:” I’m looking forward to the final, it will be a game at a very high level. “
Struff loses to Fritz
On the other hand, disappointment in St. Petersburg with Jan-Lennard Struff: The 31-year-old Warsteiner has to wait for his first tournament win, in Russia he was on course, but lost 7: 5, 1: 6 despite the set lead against Taylor Fritz (USA) 3: 6. So far, Struff has only reached the final on the ATP tour in Munich in May – too little for the long-time Davis Cup player.
Zverev, on the other hand, is racing from success to success, this year he could win his fifth title. In addition to gold in Tokyo, he won the Masters in Madrid and Cincinnati and also triumphed in Acapulco. So far, he has only managed five tournament victories in one year in 2017. And the season is not over yet. Zverev still serves in Paris and at the season finale in Turin.
And is in pretty good shape. Before the semi-finals against teenager Alcaraz, he had committed himself to his duties. “I made it difficult for myself once again, that has to stop,” said Zverev after the hard-fought three-set victory against the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. It stopped. Zverev hardly made any mistakes in 68 minutes.
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Not only can he catch up with his former sponsor Stich in the ranking of German tournament champions, but also in Vienna’s list of winners. 30 years ago the Elmshorn triumphed at the traditional tournament, Tommy Haas was even twice successful (2001, 2013), and Philipp Petzschner (2008) also won once in the town hall.
And another German tennis professional immortalized himself in the history books of the tournament 25 years ago: Boris Becker prevailed in the final. It was one of 49 tournament victories in Becker’s career – including six in Grand Slams. The most important titles, of which Stich also won one, are still missing from Zverev’s collection.
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