Status: 29.06.2024 18:05
So far, Alexander Zverev has never made it further than the round of 16 on the “holy turf of Wimbledon”. But this year, the tennis pro from Hamburg brought a lot of self-confidence to the third Grand Slam tournament of the year.
The 27-year-old last made it to the final at the French Open. That was on clay. Grass is not really the Tokyo Olympic champion’s speciality. But Zverev is approaching Wimbledon with great confidence this time. “It’s the first time that I really think I’m here as a candidate to maybe win the title,” said the best German tennis player on Saturday in London: “I didn’t think that in previous years when I came here.”
Further information
The draw for the first round of the grass court classic was kind: the four North German tennis players avoided the stars. more
The North German’s first round match will begin on Tuesday with his match against Spaniard Roberto Carballes Baena, number 65 in the world. And the tasks in the following two rounds could also be solved.
Zverev has never made it past the round of 16 at Wimbledon. The grass court classic has been Zverev’s weakest Grand Slam tournament to date. Last year he was eliminated in the third round against the Italian Matteo Berrettini.
Zverev wants to say goodbye to the “beautiful game”
Zverev said he had not liked the grass surface for a long time in his career, explaining this by saying that rallies are not as long as on clay. “You have to get used to the way you play. You have to accept that the game might not be as nice as on other surfaces. That’s a mental thing,” he added. “You have to accept it, if I do that, I think I have a chance.”
Further information
After missing out on the title in the final of the French Open, the Hamburg tennis pro wants to do everything he can to get even better. more
Lower half of the tournament as a good path to the final?
The German number one was drawn into the lower half of the tournament. This means that Zverev could only meet defending champion Carlos Alcaraz from Spain or the Italian world number one Jannik Sinner in a possible final. A possible semi-final opponent would be the record Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic from Serbia, who has recently been injured.
Zverev said he believes that this Wimbledon edition is perhaps more open than any other in 20 years in terms of the possible winners. “I think there are several guys who have a very decent chance of going far and have a very decent chance of winning the tournament.”
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Sports news | 29.06.2024 | 16:25
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2024-06-29 16:05:09
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