ATP Finals: Alexander Zverev ready for the fight of the gladiators
Alexander Zverev starts his last tournament of the year on Monday. At the start of the ATP Finals, he meets an old friend in London.
by SID
last edit: Nov 16, 2020, 11:20 am
Alexander Zverev feels prepared for the fight between the eight gladiators. "Let the games begin," exclaimed the German top player before starting the ATP Finals via Instagram. In London, Zverev has to hide the unrest in his private life and deliver immediately. "In normal tournaments you play in the first round against players who are 40, 50 or 60 in the world," he said: "It's different at the ATP Finals."
Instead of slowly feeling into the event, Zverev immediately has to show his best tennis against the number four in the world on Monday evening (9 p.m. / Sky) in the British metropolis. The Russian Daniil Medvedev is waiting, who like Zverev is one of the biggest challenges for the superstars Novak Djokovic (Serbia) and Rafael Nadal (Spain) at the last tournament of the year.
Zverev leads 5-2 in the H2H against Medvedev
Zverev against Medvedev - on the blue hard court in the empty o2 arena there is a duel between two friends. Both have known each other since they were younger, Medvedev is almost a year older than the 23-year-old from Hamburg. Zverev also has Russian parents, and the heart of the two tennis stars beats in sync for the footballers of Bayern Munich. Both Zverev and Medvedev are future Grand Slam winners and were already in the final of the US Open. Zverev this September, his opponent a year earlier.
On the ATP tour it's 5: 2 for Zverev, but the last meeting was against him just a week ago. Zverev was defeated in the final of the Masters in Paris 7: 5, 4: 6, 1: 6, his winning streak tore after twelve wins and the two titles in Cologne. In London, in 2018 he was able to win here, he wants to attack again. In the preliminary round group "Tokyo 1970" he also meets the world number one Djokovic and the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman. The first two in the group make it to the semi-finals.
How fit is Alexander Zverev?
Small question marks are behind Zverev's fitness level . Most recently, he complained of a slight thigh strain, but assumed that he would be physically fit against Medvedev. Before the opening duel, it is harder to tell what his mental state is like. At the press conference before the start of the tournament, a lot revolved around the serious allegations of his ex-girlfriend Olga Scharypova.
It was not an easy performance for the German top player who again denied the public allegations. In the past few weeks he has managed to shake off the turmoil in his private life on the square. Zverev has to manage the balancing act again in the upcoming duels with the tennis world elite.
o2arena