Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Debut at the US Open
Zverev posted an easy opening win
The balance is sober: “The match was okay,” says Alexander Zverev after his victory in the first round of the US Open. The hamburger has now achieved the twelfth triumph in a row. Tennis legend Boris Becker commented benevolently on the performance.
Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev started the US Open with a sovereign first-round appearance. A good four weeks after his gold coup in Tokyo and a week after his tournament victory in Cincinnati, the 24-year-old from Hamburg won 6: 4, 7: 5, 6: 2 against the American Sam Querrey. For Zverev, the success in a rather one-sided and only moderately entertaining 1:39 hours was the twelfth victory in a row. “The match was okay, the first round against a player who is extremely dangerous on hard court. That’s why I’m happy with the three-set win,” said the fourth in the world rankings in an interview with the TV channel Eurosport.
After the successes of Dominik Koepfer, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Peter Gojowczyk as well as the women Angelique Kerber and Andrea Petkovic the day before, Zverev became the sixth German tennis professional to reach the second round at the Grand Slam tournament in New York. The “game of patience” expected from his brother and manager Mischa Zverev was quickly resolved. Although Querrey hit powerful and aggressive as expected, the playful means of the 33-year-old from San Francisco were very limited in the first game of the day at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I particularly like the calm that Sascha exudes. He feels comfortable in his skin without being arrogant and exudes self-confidence”, analyzed the three-time Wimbledon winner Boris Becker.
To 5: 4, Zverev managed the break in the first set. In the second round it fell below the world number 78. at the score of 5: 5 the third double fault, a little later Zverev also decided the sentence for himself. In the third, Querrey lost his service game to 1: 2 and then again to 1: 4. Zverev did not miss these templates. Querrey seemed to have come to terms with defeat. The American fans in the only sparsely filled largest tennis stadium in the world continued to support their compatriot, but in the end some also rose to applaud Zverev.
Although the North German missed three match points in a 5-1 lead, he finally used the fourth to win on his own serve. In the fight for entry into the third round, Zverev will now meet the French Lucas Pouille or Albert Ramos-Vinolas from Spain. One year after his dramatic five-set defeat in the final against Austrian Dominic Thiem, Zverev is aiming for his first title in one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in New York. Inspired by his Olympic victory and with the gold medal in his luggage, he also played against Querrey and stayed with him in the third comparison without losing a set.
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