Alexander Zverev after Geneva coup: "With greater confidence to Paris"
Was the turning point for the better for Alexander Zverev last week? One thing is clear: in Paris he will now start with more confidence than last.
by Jörg Allmeroth from Paris
last edit: May 26, 2019, 11:33 am
Maybe it was a good thing that Alexander Zverev didn't have much time to think. On the penultimate Friday of the evening, at a quarter to six, when a certain Rainer Schüttler called him and asked whether he would like to start the tournament in Geneva with a wildcard from Monday.
Schüttler is the head of the small, fine competition there, he sensed a win-win situation, Zverev would be a personal attraction for the field of participants, but the tournament would also be a last chance for Zverev to gain a little more confidence for the French Open . Zverev made the gut decision to get on the plane and try his luck. In fact, Zverev not only came, he saw and won. And on Saturday after the cup coup, he thanked last-minute conversation partner Schüttler again for his help: “Thank you for calling. Even if it was a bit late, "said the 22-year-old German," luckily I said yes. "
Zverev had to fight hard for his first season title. Over the entire week of the tournament, but even more so in a dramatic, curious endgame. Zverev started with self-confidence and great power against Chilean Nicolas Jarry (23), he quickly got the first set, but then came the big rain and tough mandatory breaks. Somehow the native of Hamburg lost his concentration and superiority, sentence 2 finally went to Jarry. In the tie-break of the third set, Zverev was 4: 0 in the lead, then 6: 3, he had three match balls in a row, but all of them lost. Then the world ranking fifth had to fend off two victory points from the Chilean before he himself crossed the finish line with 6: 3, 3: 6 and 7: 6 (10: 8). Pretty exhausted, but also pretty happy. "I'm going to Paris with more confidence now," said Zverev, "if I find my rhythm, I can be one of the best players in the world."
Zverev as "Dark Horse" to Paris
Victories are victories. No matter how. It is even more so when a week has passed like Zverev. Weeks in which all sorts of things go wrong. Weeks in which a crisis intensifies on and off the field, doubts grow violently and "hardly anything comes together." At the Masters tournament in Rome, the low point for the ATP world champion was reached in mid-May, from the "Eternal." Stadt "he said goodbye with a defeat in round two and the comment that he was now" no longer interested in playing tennis. "Zverev continued to train in Monte Carlo, he would probably have left for practice sessions in Paris early if not Would have called Schuetter, the head of the Geneva tournament.
# BETATHOMEFO #
Last year, Zverev did not come to the Roland Garros stadium as a favorite, but as a favorite. He had been the second best clay court player in the tournaments before the French Open, he had become a real, serious Nadal challenger. Too bad that he always went the full distance in the early rounds and failed in the quarterfinals at the later finalist Dominic Thiem. Now Zverev serves as a "dark horse" at the Grand Slam festival under the Eiffel Tower. Fast off, setting the best Grand Slam result from last year, maybe even more glamor and glory? Nothing is impossible for Zverev in Paris, especially in this strange, crazy tennis year 2019.
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