Djokovic’s conqueror is waiting
Zverev wipes away early shock brilliantly
May 15, 2024, 11:32 p.m
Good news for German tennis fans: Alexander Zverev is very close to the form that can take him far at the French Open. In the quarterfinals of the Masters tournament in Rome, even an early stumble doesn’t put the Hamburger out of step.
Exclamation mark in the acid test: Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev is getting better and better a week and a half before the start of the French Open. At the ATP Masters in Rome, the Hamburg native confidently beat the American Taylor Fritz despite an early moment of shock and made it to the semi-finals. He will meet the surprise man Alejandro Tabilo from Chile there on Friday.
In the end it was 6:4, 6:3 against the world number 13. Fritz, after Zverev had converted his first match point after 1:30 hours. The 27-year-old didn’t let a painful stumble on the slightly soapy pitch bother him on Wednesday evening. Zverev had to have his left hand treated after his fall, but was apparently able to continue the match without any major pain.
“I’m obviously extremely happy because Taylor is one of the best players on clay this year,” said Zverev: “A win like this is great, especially after the fall. I’m still in a bit of pain – when the adrenaline wears off, I’ll be I’ll see what it is.” Zverev is therefore only two wins away from his first Masters title since 2021. It would be his sixth in a 1000 ATP tournament overall and his second in the Italian capital.
Zverev aggressive and consistent
Zverev got into the game strongly in the well-attended Roman Tennis Stadium and dominated his in-form opponent. Fritz, who has not been known as a clay court specialist for a long time, recently reached the final in Munich (defeat against Jan-Lennard Struff) and was also in the semi-finals in Madrid. However, he didn’t have much to counter the German’s aggressive and consistent attacking game. Zverev also looked lively and strong in the second round. Fritz fought back, but his opponent managed the decisive break in the middle of the set.
At the Masters in Madrid, Zverev’s clay court form was still a concern. In the round of 16, the fifth in the world rankings surprisingly lost to the Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo. In Paris, Zverev will be hunting for his first major title at the second Grand Slam of the year starting May 26th.