Alexander Zverev, 27th in the world, is back in the semi-finals at Roland-Garros a year after seriously injuring his ankle there, thanks to his victory on Wednesday in the quarterfinals against the unexpected Argentinian Tomas Etcheverry (49th) 6- 4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. “I’m in the semi-finals of Roland-Garros and I’m very happy about it! As I said before, last year was the most difficult of my life. That’s why I’m so happy to be back. I’m coming back on Friday (for his semi-final) and I couldn’t be happier,” commented the 26-year-old German.
He thus qualified for his third semi-final in a row at Roland-Garros and will face for a place in the final, which would be his first in a Major since the US Open 2020, the Danish prodigy Holger Rune (6th) or the last year’s finalist, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (4th), who clash in the evening.
Serious injury
These 2023 French Open allow Zverev to live on the circuit again: a year ago, he left the Philippe-Chatrier court leaning on crutches, victim of a tear in the ligaments of his right ankle while leading the hard life for Rafael Nadal, two days before the 14th coronation of the Spaniard. The injury kept him out for the rest of the 2022 season and he has yet to score four straight tournament wins since returning in early 2023.
At Roland-Garros, there are five, series to follow. Before facing Etcheverry on Wednesday, he hadn’t lost a single set in the tournament either. In the first set, Zverev earned the break to lead 4-3 and quietly held his faceoff until the end. In the second, he committed faults which allowed his opponent to regain confidence, like this completely missed spike which concluded a service game which he had started with two double faults in a row and which allowed Etcheverry to break 5-3 and serve to equalize at a set everywhere, which he did not fail to do.
“He plays incredibly well”
Zverev then started the third set very badly by committing five unforced errors in as many points played, which allowed the Argentinian to make the entry break. But at 2-0 for his opponent, the German managed a series of five games to lead 5-2. He then offered three set points in a row on the opposing serve, but Etcheverry scored the next five points to force Zverev to serve for the win of the set. What he did. Round four quickly turned in the German’s favor
The 23-year-old Argentinian had never passed the second round in a Grand Slam, reached in January in Australia. In Paris, after having benefited in the first round from the abandonment in the second set of Jack Draper (55th), Etcheverry lined up victories of choice against Alex De Minaur (19th), Borna Coric (16th) and Yoshihito Nishioka (33rd) without losing a single set to climb into the quarters.
“He plays incredibly well and he reminds me of Del Potro (Juan Martin, Argentinian, twice semi-finalist at Roland-Garros in 2009 and 2018). He will come back often in the quarter-finals here, that’s for sure,” Zverev predicted. .