Zverev’s sovereign return to the scene of the accident
Status: 00:53
Very relieved: Alexander Zverev after his second round match in Paris
Quelle: Getty Images/Lewis Storey
There was no sign of the nervousness that Alexander Zverev described. Returning to the site of his darkest moment as a tennis player was a triumph. The German then thanked the audience.
Alexander Zverev also successfully mastered his return to last year’s accident site at the French Open. The tennis Olympic champion reached the third round on Thursday evening by beating Slovakian Alex Molcan 6: 4, 6: 2, 6: 1 and showed a significant improvement in performance after his bumpy start. On the largest court at the clay court classic in Paris, the Court Philippe-Chatrier, Zverev injured his ankle in the semifinals against Rafael Nadal almost a year ago.
“I was so nervous before I came on the pitch. You helped me so much,” said the 26-year-old to the audience. “I’m so proud to have played on the pitch. I still love playing here. I’m so happy that I was able to win again here on the pitch.”
Thanks to the fans: Alexander Zverev after his victory
Quelle: Getty Images/Lewis Storey
The 26-year-old followed Daniel Altmaier with the sovereign victory in just 1:57 hours after his sensational success over Jannik Sinner in the round of the top 32. Zverev faces the American number twelve seeded Frances Tiafoe before the first sporting endurance test with these French Open. In the round of 16, there could be a duel between the only remaining German tennis professionals and Altmaier.
Yannick Hanfmann loses
Yannick Hanfmann, on the other hand, was unable to follow his Davis Cup colleague Altmaier into the third round. The 31-year-old from Karlsruhe lost to Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo in the evening 3: 6, 3: 6, 4: 6. Hanfmann could not build on the strong performance in the exhausting five-set win in the first round. Zverev then gave the German day the right end.
In contrast to the first round duel with the South African Lloyd Harris, which had been tight for a long time, he presented himself much more aggressively. With the aggressiveness he gained, he immediately took the serve from Molcan in all three sets. The former world number two never gave up his own service in the entire game, so he could celebrate an unchallenged victory. “He plays freely, more positively, more powerfully, as if he had let go of the shackles. Maybe it’s because he’s on this crazy place again,” said Eurosport expert Boris Becker in memory of the semi-final drama against Rafael Nadal.
