What a week Zizou Bergs has had. The Belgian tennis player triumphed from the qualifications at the Ilkley grass tournament. In the final, he defeated American Jack Sock, a former top ten player, after 3 hard-fought sets.
“Sock came before a break in the third set, but I found a solution,” says the 23-year-old. Our compatriot also had his back against the wall in the tiebreak.
“I had a match point against, but I was still able to put everything to my liking.” Bergs did that with good points. “I often manage to play my best tennis on the most important points.”
For dessert, Bergs gets a wild card for the main draw of Wimbledon thanks to his victory. “I knew the tradition and knew it was at stake. From my first win at the main draw in Ilkley, I was a bit concerned about it.”
“When I won in the final, I immediately got the good news, that was a fantastic moment. Being able to make my debut on the sacred grass of Wimbledon is a dream.”
And Bergs, who will enter the top 150, is not going to Wimbledon without ambition. “I am confident in my qualities. I can go there with the aim of winning a few games. We now have a week to prepare well.”
“Grass is now becoming my favorite surface”, Bergs laughs. “I didn’t expect it, because grass was not a success story in the juniors. But I was told that grass should be with me with my game and now I feel very good on grass.”
Why does Bergs play well with grass? “I always try to play attacking. That’s my natural style and then the extroverted Zizou comes out and it’s a party on the court, with the balls on the table,” I say.
