Alexander Zverev knows how to attract attention. Sometimes he succeeds with very good tennis games, sometimes with outbursts of anger, sometimes with a performance between genius and rudeness. His round of 16 match on Sunday in Paris fell into the third category. Against the Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles, 128 places below Germany’s best tennis pro in the world rankings, he lacked the expected dominance, but prevailed 7: 6 (13:11), 7: 5 and 6: 3.
The third in the world rankings has at least fulfilled his duty and made his contribution to a quarter-final match that the tennis world longs for. Acclaimed young Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz was forced to follow suit. Last year, the 25-year-old from Hamburg failed in the semifinals against Stefanos Tsitsipas from Greece.
“Brode me up”
Zapata Miralles was a grateful opponent for Zverev to get in the mood for the round of eight: the last qualifier in the field, as number 131 in the world rankings ranked lower than anyone else in the Paris round of 16 and before that in Paris six matches in the bones, which one the 25-year-old hardly noticed. His percussion repertoire is solid, but by no means to be feared. Nevertheless, Zverev praised in the end: “He plays the tennis of his life and drove me crazy.”
Zverev himself was a different caliber on Sunday, for better or for worse. The bad: After an all too easy start and a 4:1, 40:15 lead, he lost concentration and first brought his opponent back into play with a careless net attack and then with many mistakes.
“The match was too easy at the beginning”
This also happens to hobby players. The good thing: He freed himself from the mess he had repeatedly gotten himself into with strong punches at crucial moments. Only experts can do that. “I just wasn’t there, the match was too easy at the beginning,” said Zverev: “After that it was a relatively good level.”
Zverev had to fend off three set balls in the first round before he converted his fourth himself. After the worst was over, Zverev did the rest up to the match point after 2:45 hours with his talent and his routine, but in a way that none of the upcoming opponents in the hot tournament phase have to fear. He made 64 unforced errors and made 37 straight points.
Djokovic without losing a set
Novak Djokovic was already done before Zverev entered the pitch. In 2:15 hours, the world number one and defending champion defeated the Argentinian Diego Schwartzmann 6:1, 6:3 and 6:3. This year, the 35-year-old has not shown any weaknesses in Roland Garros and more or less walked into the quarter-finals without losing a set.
He is there in Paris for the sixteenth time – another record for the man who has been at the top of the world rankings for 372 weeks, longer than anyone else. With the targeted 21st Grand Slam tournament winner, the Serb would also catch up with record holder Rafael Nadal in this regard.
Djokovic had an invaluable advantage for him: he was able to sit back early on Sunday and watch the competitors play in rows. Especially extensively his upcoming quarter-final opponent Nadal, who needed 4:21 hours to defeat the 21-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 3: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2, 3: 6 and 6: 3. Djokovic makes no secret of the fact that he is watching the other favorites with eagle eyes: “It is part of a Grand Slam tournament to follow what the big boys are doing in particular.” It is doubtful that he was impressed by Zverev’s performance.
