Alexander Zverev: "The field here is incredibly strong"
Alexander Zverev is back in Germany. Number five in the ATP world rankings is the top seeded player at this year's MercedesCup. It is Zverev's first appearance in Stuttgart since 2015, his third overall in the Swabian metropolis. After a training session with Felix Auger-Aliassime, the German number one in men's tennis answered journalists' questions.
by Florian Heer from Stuttgart
last edit: Jun 11, 2019, 08:16 am
by Florian Heer from Stuttgart
“The field here is incredibly strong, peppered with many good lawn players. It will be an interesting week and I hope to be able to win many matches, ”read Zverev's opening statement on Monday afternoon at the TC Weissenhof facility.
The decision to come to Stuttgart was short-term. One day after the quarter-finals at the French Open against Novak Djokovic, the 22-year-old German accepted a wild card from the organizer. Reaching the last eight at the second Grand Slam tournament of the year can be considered a good result considering the opponent and the previous results on ashes this year. So it was a forgiving farewell to the clay court season for Zverev.
Zverev is primarily responsible for the loss of his cell phone as the reason for his increase in performance over the past few weeks. "You can no longer communicate with me since Geneva," laughs the young star, who was able to win his first ATP tournament this season in western Switzerland shortly before the start in Roland-Garros.
Without a cell phone and manager - instead with Lendl and a dog
“I can now concentrate on tennis again. A lot of management things that had to be done off the field cost me a lot of energy. Now everything is slowly coming down and I can be a tennis player again. This is very important in our sport. "
Zverev, however, does not feel alone or lonely without a manager at his side. "I still have my dog," jokes the usual relaxed Hamburger during his press appointment.
Zverev will also receive support from Ivan Lendl. The most successful representative of the next-gen guard confirmed the arrival of the eight-time Grand Slam winner in Stuttgart on Monday evening. Whether Lendl Zverev can help with his lawn mission remains to be seen.
Green as a special factor
“Ivan can tell me everything that shouldn't be done if possible, as we know that he never won in Wimbledon. I also never understood how Andy Murray could choose him as a coach to get the chance to triumph right there, ”joked Zverev.
Despite all the fun, it also became clear that Zverev came to Stuttgart with ambitions. It is the second "very last minute commitment" of the eleven-time tournament winner within a few weeks. Zverev has emphasized the importance of success at the Geneva Open several times over the past 14 days in Paris. Perhaps he hopes for a similar, positive effect for his start to the lawn season.
Endurance runner Zverev
“Lawn is a special surface. Young players in particular often find it difficult to play on this surface because they have to play completely different tennis. But you learn from year to year and additional practice can not hurt. "
With his start at Killesberg, Zverev will play his twelfth tournament within the past twelve weeks. However, he is not afraid of an overload. “I feel good physically. I have been able to improve my performance in the past few weeks. That's why I decided to continue playing, ”said Zverev, citing the home advantage as an additional positive effect. “From a mental point of view, it is refreshing to be in Germany. I am always happy to compete in front of my home crowd. ”
First individual performance on Thursday
Zverev, who also serves in double with his brother Mischa, will intervene in the individual events on Thursday. The kick-off is against the winner from the encounter between compatriot Dustin Brown and the Australian John Millman, who only challenged Sascha in his opening match in Paris over five sets and brought him to the brink of defeat.
“They are both very uncomfortable opponents. I just spent five hours on the pitch against John. So I know his game very well. However, it will look a little different on grass. Dustin is probably one of the most dangerous players you can get on the rubber. Especially if you haven't played a grass match this season. I hope in the first rounds for a player who can give me some rhythm. But if it gets Dustin, it will be more interesting for the spectators and for the tournament. ”