ATP Dubai: Alexander Zverev and the gift horse
Thanks to a remarkable increase in performance , Alexander Zverev has reached the round of 16 of the ATP Tour 500 Tour event in Dubai. However, the initial impetus came from opponent Jiri Lehecka.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Feb 28, 2023, 08:13 am
Alexander Zverev may have been a bit surprised in the sixth game of the second set against Jiri Lehecka on Monday in Dubai. Up to this point, the Czech had the match under control with some certainty, even if Zverev had gotten into the game better as a server. But then Lehecka opened the door for Zverev more than a crack with three double errors. And the German gratefully accepted the gift without asking any questions.
Now Zverev is a very polite tennis player, returned Lehecka's favor towards the end of the third act. There, too, it was a double fault that sealed the 4:4. In a phase when Alexander Zverev had clearly made himself comfortable in the driver's seat. It doesn't matter: Lehecka immediately lost his serve again, Zverev served out. And in the round of 16 Dubai is now being served an opponent whom he should be superior to on paper: Emil Ruusuvuori or Christopher O'Connell.
Zverev is waiting for the second win in a row
At the moment, however, everything is not going back to paper form for Alexander Zverev, the second matches have already been three times in this comeback season that have been fatal for the native of Hamburg: against Michael Mmoh at the Australian Open, against Marc-Andrea Huesler at Davis Cup and against Tallon Griekspoor in Rotterdam. So caution is advised, especially since Zverev has already lost to Ruusuvuori. Albeit under special circumstances in Miami.
The match against Jiri Lehecka will be written off by the German number one as an important milestone on the way back to the top. Because the increase in performance after a messed up start was obvious. On the one hand, because Zverev was able to rely on his serve in the third set, with the exception of the eighth game mentioned. And also because he kept moving his position forward as the match progressed.
How far can the 26-year-old go in Dubai? According to the seeding list, Félix Auger-Aliassime would wait in the quarter-finals, and Andrey Rublev in the semi-finals. Both have not been particularly convincing this year, so there are chances for Alexander Zverev. But with the exception of one player, this applies to all opponents of Zverev anyway. And this one player is also placed on the other side of the tableau: Novak Djokovic.