French Open: "Sascha makes it to the final" - optimism in the Zverev team
Alexander Zverev has good prospects for a strong tournament at the French Open. The draw seems favorable.
by SID
last edit: May 28, 2021, 04:37 pm
Alexander Zverev switches to attack mode. The self-confidence of the German number one has grown enormously after two tournament victories, the draw for the French Open is favorable. Correspondingly brisk tones can be heard before the start of the Grand Slam tournament in Paris on Sunday from the team of the sixth in the world rankings.
"Sascha reaches the final - and anything can happen there," said his brother and manager Mischa Zverev in an interview with Eurosport: "He can win Roland Garros, I firmly believe in that and hope he will make it."
Neither the clay court king Rafael Nadal from Spain nor the world number one Novak Djokovic go into the competition from Zverev's half of the tournament - he could only meet the top favorites in the final. Qualifiers are waiting for Hamburg in the first two rounds, in the quarterfinals he could meet his buddy and US Open final opponent Dominic Thiem again. But as brisk as Zverev's brother Mischa appears, he also urges you to approach task after task seriously.
Alexander Zverev believes in his chance
"If the games in the first and second round are actually easy, it can happen that you get a real chunk afterwards. This difference is sometimes not so easy to deal with, especially in such a big tournament," he said, but emphasized : "If he plays good tennis, it doesn't matter whether the lot is easy or difficult, then he will make it into the second week and go really far."
Alexander Zverev himself had also previously stated that he sensed his chance for the longed-for first major title. "I do think that I have chances this year. I still think that Nadal is going to be the top favorite in this tournament. But of course, I've been playing well lately," said Zverev in the Olympic podcast of the Sportschau. And the experts, too, may have more on their list than usual.
The tournament victories in Acapulco and especially the Masters in Madrid made a huge impression. The 24-year-old cleared three stars with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Thiem and clay court dominator Nadal, which are listed in front of him. Zverev can beat the big ones - but not yet in Grand Slams.
There is still no success over a top 10 player for the service giant at majors, so far there has always been a bit missing, as in the defeat in the 2020 US Open final against Thiem. "Top 10 players just play a tad better at Grand Slams. He may have lacked the experience in the past," said Eurosport expert Boris Becker.
The narrow defeat in New York also drives Zverev. "I want it even more now. I also think that I'm a better tennis player now," he said. "I'll do everything I can to give myself this chance again."
Here the single tableau in Roland Garros
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