Alexander Zverev took his headband off his head and then casually signed autographs: The Olympic champion completed his second round match at Wimbledon in a flash and with the utmost seriousness. With his superior 6:2, 6:1, 6:4 victory against the American Marcos Giron in just 1 hour and 34 minutes of play, the 27-year-old also sent another signal to the competition: Zverev is also a force to be reckoned with on grass.
German women clearly inferior
“I felt very comfortable on the court,” said Zverev after his easy victory and then looked ahead to the upcoming duel with Briton Cameron Norrie: “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to break your hearts,” said Zverev with a grin in the direction of the London audience: “Please love me again after that.”
Before that, Jule Niemeier had leafed through her light blue notebook for help and Laura Siegemund fought relentlessly until the last ball – but it wasn’t enough. From a German perspective, the women’s competition is now completely empty. Daniel Altmaier was also unable to take advantage of a good opportunity.
Siegemund annoyed the 2022 winner Jelena Rybakina for a long time and, despite her 3:6, 6:3, 3:6 defeat, once again proved her qualities as a competitor. Niemeier was clearly inferior to the savvy semi-finalist from last year, Elina Switolina from Ukraine, in a 3:6, 4:6 defeat. The bottom line is that no German player is in the third round of the classic. Angelique Kerber, Eva Lys and Tamara Korpatsch failed in the first round.
“The match I lost today will help me”
Things are looking more positive for the men, despite Altmaier’s bitter 6:7 (3:7), 3:6, 6:1, 7:6 (7:3), 4:6 defeat against Denis Shapovalov. Jan-Lennard Struff had already made it to the third round on Wednesday. Zverev left no doubt that he would follow.
Altmaier, meanwhile, packaged his defeat positively as a learning experience. “I don’t know why I should be dissatisfied, to be honest,” said the 25-year-old, for whom reaching the second round on an unfamiliar surface is a step forward: “The match I lost today will help me,” he said.
Niemeier is also counting on this, as she seems to be on a positive path again after a difficult year in 2023. But she ultimately made too many avoidable mistakes against top player Switolina. Hopes of another run like in 2022, when Niemeier made it to the round of the last eight, were dashed.
Siegemund fought as hard as ever and even got former national coach Barbara Rittner on the Prime Video microphone. “She just plays different tennis, she’s thought about something,” said Rittner. But Rybakina had the last word.
On Friday, the eyes of German tennis fans will be on Struff, who is battling against Daniil Medvedev from Russia for a place in the round of 16. If everything goes perfectly for the football fan, he might even be able to watch Germany’s European Championship match against Spain that evening with a victory of his own under his belt.
