“That was good, damn it”
Critical Zverev makes Becker a bit angry
By Till Erdenberger
6/4/2023 1:37 p.m
Tennis star Alexander Zverev gets a big win. And that, in my own opinion, without a great effort. Boris Becker sees it completely differently – and also expresses it. For Zverev, the win against Frances Tiafoe is a special one in a special place.
It was well after midnight when Alexander Zverev put the lid on it: With a 3: 6, 7: 6, 6: 1, 7: 6, the Hamburg player made it into the round of 16 of the French Open. The Olympic champion roared his excitement at the success into the night above the mighty Court Philippe-Chatrier. Because it was a tough road until he wrestled down world No. 12 Frances Tiafoe and because it was another step on the way back to the regions where Zverev was traveling 12 months ago.
Exactly one year ago, the German had a serious accident in an epic semifinal against Rafael Nadal, on Philippe-Chatrier, at the peak of his art, with the first Grand Slam title in sight and with the very big chance of the number 1 in the tennis world. Since then, nothing can be taken for granted.
“Now don’t be so critical”
Zverev himself classified his victory soberly: “The most important thing was that I won – even if I didn’t play my best tennis.” Words that made Boris Becker angry. At least the Eurosport expert didn’t want to leave her like that: “Now don’t be so critical – that was good today, damn it,” said the tennis legend in a TV interview to Zverev. “It was hard work, I’ve never seen Tiafoe so good on clay.”
Zverev, who actually started the match weakly and with many unforced mistakes, especially about his own forehand, had worked his way into a complicated encounter and then got stuck. And was allowed to cheer in the end because he was the better player. In the world rankings, the German is in 27th place, as badly as he was last in 2015. The results since his return after the injury at the turn of the year are clear, the big victories are missing. Against the world number 2. The 26-year-old played Daniil Medvedev twice and lost in three sets each time. Something was always missing.
In May, Zverev was still desperate
“When the knot bursts, it can happen very quickly and everything looks easy, which was difficult before,” said six-time Grand Slam tournament winner Becker. “I have to win and then it will work out. I don’t know what else to say now. DThis year I’m playing the worst tennis, probably since 2015, 2016,” Zverev complained after an early exit in May at the Masters tournament in Rome. “To say you’re back you have to win at least once and I don’t do that. I’m out earlier than I would like to be. I’m kind of not able to go any further in the tournament right now. ” Zverev has already won three times in the most important clay court tournament of the season, the performance curve is right. Round of 16 in Roland Garros, that is not (anymore) a matter of course.
Winning is important in sport, sometimes the “how” doesn’t matter. That could explain Zverev’s lack of enthusiasm for his own performance. And it’s also good news to be able to win big games again without a really big performance. Simply because you are the better player. Against the South African Lloyd Harris, Zverev – contrary to other habits – was enough to start with three sets, against the Slovakian Alex Molcan it was also a smooth affair in the second round. Now the win over Tiafoe, the first real test in the tournament that, in a brief quirk of fate, last year’s reaching for the stars plunged into a deep, dark sporting valley. Yes, it’s pathetic, but maybe this time the course was set again on the Philippe-Chartrier court for Alexander Zverev’s sporting future. “It was the hardest year of my life, I love tennis more than anything else in life. I don’t play the sport for money, not for fame or anything else,” enthused the returnee in the early hours of the morning at the end of the first week of the tournament. “When they took that away from me, it was very difficult. I’m very happy to be back here.”
“I have a good feeling, there is still something to do”
“He got better and looser from set to set,” praised expert Becker. “That was a very important victory for Sascha for the second week. I have a good feeling, something is still possible.” And Zverev, who was only missing two victories last year to win the long-awaited first Grand Slam title and take first place in the world rankings before he was seriously injured, was satisfied: “I’m happy to be in the second week and hopefully it will go far for me.”
The next challenge fits quite well into the development plan: The strong hard court specialist Tiafoe is followed by one of the world-class people who are in the best form in Paris these days: “Grigor Dimitrov is an amazing player. He plays maybe the best tennis he has ever played Sand”, Zverev enthused about his round of 16 opponent. The Bulgarian, who used to be 3rd in the world rankings and is currently 29th, didn’t give Daniel Altmaier the slightest chance in his third round match in three sets.