Two days without games before the cracking semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz? According to Boris Becker, the extended break could pose an additional mental challenge for Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. “Now it can be a disadvantage because he is of course starting to think. His big dream is of course to win a Grand Slam tournament,” said Becker at Eurosport.
Zverev moved into the semi-finals in Melbourne for the fourth time on Tuesday with a convincing four-set win against the American Learner Tien. Due to the women’s semi-finals on Thursday, the German number one and the world number one Alcaraz have to wait a day longer than usual for a major tournament for their next match.
Zverev trained on Wednesday morning (local time) and seemed relaxed as usual. “But you can’t ignore the thoughts: What happens when I have to play against Alcaraz on Friday,” said the two-time tournament winner Becker: “What’s going on in my head, that’s the question for me.”
Zverev goes into the duel with the exceptional Spanish talent as a slight outsider, even if the balance is 6:6. “We are in the semifinals of a Grand Slam,” said Zverev: “There will be no easy game.”
