Fit and nervous at the US Open: Marathon man Zverev "the way is right"
Alexander Zverev had to work overtime in New York. But it also reveals strengths that make it clear that the German number one is on track.
by SID
last edit: Aug 31, 2019, 01:56 pm
With his unwanted overtime, marathon man Alexander Zverev has no problem. "Of course you want to be off the pitch as soon as possible," said the top German player after his hard-won entry into the third round of the US Open : "But if it goes into the fifth set, it goes into the fifth set, and you have to find a way. "
Zverev has already contested ten sets in Flushing Meadows, spent more than six hours on the court - but the struggles of the first two games revealed the important finding: the sixth in the world rankings is currently finding these ways out of difficult situations exceptionally good.
So good that even tennis icon Boris Becker was amazed. "It's striking how good he is over five sets," said the six-time Grand Slam champion at Eurosport. Ivan Lendl, until the end of July Zverev's coach, also praised: "There are two things that can be said about him: he works hard and doesn't give up."
Five-sentence record 2019: 5-0 for Zverev
Zverev had to fight over five sets twice, twice with success. The 6: 3, 3: 6, 6: 2, 2: 6, 6: 3 against the American Frances Tiafoe proved once again: Not everything is going well at Zverev, the performance is too inconsistent. But when it comes down to it, the German number one is on hand.
"When you go into the fifth set, you have to stay calm. It is a set - if you win it, you are on. If you lose it, you are out of the tournament. You cannot suddenly get restless and balls "The 22-year-old explained his nerve strength, which he had often lacked in the run-up to the tournament:" You have to somehow find a way to win. "
The long games seem to suit the ATP champion. He had to play 19 matches over five sets, 13 of which he won. This year alone, his record is 5-0 as soon as majors go the full distance.
"It speaks for his physique and mental strength that he always finds a solution," said Becker, who did so as a result of a positive development from Zverevs, who won the 2018 Grand Slam Aus in Melbourne and Wimbledon set five 0: 6 each lost, after difficult weeks understood: "He is now also honest with himself and says: 'Yes, that was not so good in summer. I'm working on it and I'm getting better.' That's why the way is right. "
# BETATHOMEUSWIN #
Tactical games? Zverev wants to win with the tennis racket
But not everything is still sunshine. Zverev is too easy to get out of the concept. Against Tiafoe he was on course for victory after the third set when an unusually long toilet break by the American threw him off the track. "He broke my rhythm a bit. To be honest, I don't know what you do in the toilet for twelve minutes," explained the Hamburg player, who clearly lost the fourth set afterwards.
This "annoyed him," said Zverev and saw an unpleasant development in tennis. "A lot of young players try to break the rhythm. I don't want them to win games with such tricks," he said at Eurosport. "Federer and Nadal don't do that either. They show that you can win with a tennis racket."
Zverev wants that on Saturday, too, and the signs are excellent. He has not lost against Aljaz Bedene (Saturday, 3rd match after 5 p.m. CEST) in three matches so far, most recently he defeated the Slovenian in three sets at the Australian Open in January. Marathon man Zverev in New York could also live well with that for a change.