Zverev has a point to prove
So much of the narrative around Roland-Garros has been centred around the ‘Big Three’ duo Djokovic and Nadal, as well as the emergence of Alcaraz.
For someone who has consistently lifted big titles and chalked up Grand Slam wins, Zverev has been left out of the conversation.
He looked and played like a man with a point to prove and gained revenge for a 6-3, 6-1 dismissal by Alcaraz in Madrid with some clinical and gutsy play. Clean hitting, metronome serving, Zverev was cruising deep into the third set.
Even when Alcaraz mounted his crowd-pleasing comeback, the German looked steely determined, striding between points and still hitting with conviction.
The fourth-set tiebreak was the most impressive segment. The world No.3 connecting with three piercing backhands down the line, the last one clinching a mammoth victory in his career.
“The match was turning his way, I’m extremely happy that I won the tiebreak, that I didn’t have to play a fifth set, I didn’t have to be disappointed after a five-set match again like last year after the semi-finals,” stated the 25-year-old after earning the first top-10 victory of his career at a Grand Slam.
“He's one of the best players in the world right now, and beating him at Roland-Garros, Grand Slam, is very important for me.
“But next I have the world No.1 or a 13-time champion here. So it's not really getting easier from here.”