After the defeat against his long-term rival Daniil Medvedev, Alexander Zverev was deeply frustrated. “I have the feeling that I play good tennis. But I no longer have it in my own hands,” said Zverev after the 6:7 (7:9), 4:6 against the world number three from Russia.
Only if Medvedev, who has already qualified for the semi-finals, also wins against Wimbledon winner Carlos Alcaraz from Spain on Friday (2.30 p.m./Sky), will Zverev still have a chance of making it into the evening game (8.30 p.m./Sky) against Russian Andrej Rublyov, who has already been eliminated Semifinals. With a victory, the Olympic champion would then make progress perfect.
“In an unfavorable situation”
“I’m in an unfavorable situation now. You never want that, you always want to have everything in your own hands,” said Zverev. The 26-year-old particularly struggled with a very simple volley that he put into the net in the tiebreak of the first set when the score was 4-1. “Today it was only one shot. Unfortunately, the one volley that I hit into the field nine times out of ten attempts was the one today,” said Zverev.
Medvedev then turned the tiebreak and took the first set. In the second round, a break ball was enough for the Russian to decide the game and book his ticket to the semi-finals. “It’s bitter because I believe that the tennis I play deserved more than a defeat in two sets,” said Zverev.
Now he has to keep his fingers crossed for Medvedev, of all people, with whom he has had many a fight on the tour and whom he described in April in Monte Carlo as “the most unfair player”. “On Friday I will be the biggest Daniil Medvedev fan there is on this planet,” said Zverev.
