Alexander Zverev – TennisReporters.net

Carlos Alcaraz: three-time Slam winner

June 11, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

In the Roland Garros final fifth set, Carlos Alcaraz was locked in. He knew that if he could crack the ball, everywhere, then he could win another Grand Slam. He certainly did, when he defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2.

That was stunning. However, in the last two sets, he became to hit it very hard, and he attacked, whenever he had to. He had played for hours, but he believed that he could still smash the ball, and throw in some incredible shots.

“I know that when I’m playing a fifth set, you have to give everything and you have to give your heart,” Alcaraz said. “I mean, in those moments, it’s where the top players give their best tennis.”

He has now won three Grand Slams, winning Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open. He is only 21-years-old, and if the No. 2 continues to be healthy, he can certainly win many more Slams. He is content and he is getting better each month.

“Different tournaments, different aura, but I’m going to say: same feeling. I mean, winning a Grand Slam is always special,” he said.

No. 4 Zverev had a fine event, but in his last two sets, he collapsed, and he looked tired. Maybe in the final of a Slam, he could be be more forceful, or try to rush the net more.

But not with Alcaraz, who is so much smarter. In the semis, the Spaniard edged Jannik Sinner in five, tough sets. Once again, he hammered his forehand and his backhand.

“Last year I clearly failed that exam, but this time we’d done our homework,” said the Spaniard. “This year I managed to do much better. I think I passed the exam, but not with flying colors. It’s something I have to keep improving and as the years go by, I’ll feel even better.”

The Italian Sinner became No. 1, for the first time, and while he couldn’t win at Roland Garros, at least he won the Australian Open, the ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami, and he reached the semis at Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and RG. He was disappointed in Paris, but now he is thrilled. That was a gigantic achievement.

“It represents a great result of work ethic. It was one of my goals for myself and my team this year,” he said. “The most important goal is always to improve as a player and as a person, surrounding myself with great people. In the last period I’ve played some really good tennis. I’m very happy to be in this position.”

Here comes the grass
Will Alcatraz, Sinner or Zverev grab the Wimbledon title? Maybe, but it is totally different on the lawn. Perhaps a few of the American men will go deep there, such as Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Sebastian Korda and Frances Tiafoe.

Fritz is not playing this week, but the rest are, in Netherlands and Germany. Even the current No. 12 Fritz lost super early at last year’s Wimbledon, so is it possible that maybe one American can reach into the second week? That would be good, as the US guys won it at Wimbledon, such as Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. Sampras won it seven times, and Agassi did it once in the 1990s and the early 2000s. Will the young players push it and learn from it?

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, wimbledon

Roland Garros final: Carlos Alcaraz versus Alexander Zverev

June 8, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Eight years ago, Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic won the title at Roland Garros. Finally, a couple “new” people have the chance to finally win it in Paris. The fast Carlos Alcaraz beat Jannik Sinner in five tough sets, at the semis, and then, Alexander Zverev pounded Casper Ruud in four sets.

Both of them certainly knows that if he is play great, most of the time, he would nail it in the corners, and win it. But it is complicated, as both Alcaraz and Zverev can be patient, and wait until he has a chance to strike it with a winner. Both of them can slap his forehand, low, and with his backhand, it could be wicked, and deep. Sometimes in the second serve, they will step closer, but in the first serve, they are way back, near the fence, even with the Spaniard. On court, they know that if he can be proficient, then he can control him.

This will be the 10th time with Zverev leads 5-4. That is very close.

“We had very tough battles in the past,” Zverev said. “It’s going to be a difficult match. It is a Grand Slam final. If you’re in a Grand Slam final, you deserve to be there. That goes for both of us. I think both of is are expecting a tough battle.”

Alcaraz has won the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, but he has yet to win Roland Garros. But now he is ready to make some incredible shot. He can miss some odd shots, but then, he can change it up, and throw in some amazing shots. He does think that his opponent can hit some huge hits, super deep. Zverev can be very intense.

“Sascha, he’s playing great tennis on clay,” Alcaraz said. “Big serve, big shots, really solid. It’s going to be a really interesting final.”

In there four matches, Zverev beat Alcaraz at the Aussie Open in the quarters, in four difficult sets, but in 2023, the Spaniard won it at Madrid and the U.S. Open. Then the German grabbed it at the ATP Finals. Essentially, it is tied, but Zverev will finally win a Grand Slam, 6-4, 7-6, 7-5, 7-5. He will finally make it.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Matthew Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros

A toss-up: Alcaraz versus Sinner in the RG semis

June 6, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

The former No. 1, Rafa Nadal, has won Roland Garros 14 times. On clay, he is the best player, ever. However, the other Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, also really likes on the clay, and in the past 12 days, he has played very aggressively. He out hit Stefanos Tsitsipas in three tough sets, and while he did a few odd errors, he was composed, at the end.

Now in the semis he has to go against Jannik Sinner, who will soon be No. 1 on Monday. He will be thrilled, but if he loses in the semis or the finals, then he would be upset. Or maybe not. The first thing is he has to be super patient, and really go for it, when the time is right. Sinner has improved this year, and his forehand and his backhand can mix up, and smash it very hard. Alcaraz has an amazing ground strokes, and the two-time champion has improved his first serve. The young player is very fast, when he is running, and he also is very solid at the net. They are close when they have played each other, as they have had eight matches, 4-4. Is that close enough? Yes. They have only played on the clay once, and Umag, and the Italian Sinner won it. At the Slams, Sinner beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon, but at the 2022, the Spaniard defeated him, and he won the US.Open. They have played only once in 2024, at Indian Wells, and Alcaraz beat him in three demanding sets.

In a sense, they know each other, pretty well. Both of them think that if he is totally on, then he can really go for it, with his first serve, close to the lines.

“Everything [Sinner] does, he does it perfectly,” Alcaraz said. “The way that he hits the ball is unbelievable. The way he moves, it’s really, really [good]. He pushes you to the limit in every ball, in every point. I think it is the hardest thing to face Jannik. At the same time, I love that. I love these kind of matches. I love this kind of challenge, to have a really difficult battle against him.”

Sinner will try to slap with his forehand, somewhat deep, yet Alcaraz will attempt to go down the line with his quick spin. It will likely be a marathon, and in the end, in the fifth set, Alcaraz will win it 6-4, in four hours.

Can Alexander Zverev will finally win a Grand Slam?

Well, over the past week, he was struggle, but he made it. From the backcourt, he was so consistent, crosscourt, and down the line. He rarely gets tired now, and his goal is to win a Slam for the first time.

“I’m in another semifinal here, which I’m very pleased about. Of course I want to win one,” said Zverev. “I want to be in the finals. That’s my main focus.”

He has to face the 25-year-old Casper Ruud, who really loves on the clay, having reach into the final at the 2023 Roland Garros. He lost against Novak Djokovic, but in the semis, he beat Zverev. Yes, this year, he came big again, but in the semis, Ruud was on fire, while Zverev collapsed. Maybe the German will do some knew shots, that fool him. Or, Ruud can trick him, again.

“Okay, I won’t play perfect, but I’m going to be a tough player to beat in best-of-five sets on clay,” said Ruud. “That’s the kind of mentality that has been working for me. I know if the opponents want to beat me, they’re going to have to play really good tennis for at least three full sets, and I’m going to try to make it tough for them. Physically I’m going to try to be in good shape and make them suffer if I can.”

Ruud knows that Zverev can be very intense for hours, but he does know that on the clay, he can exhaust him. He will, and Ruud will win it 6-7, 7-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, french open, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, paris, roland garros, roland-garros

Tough matches, but Djokovic keeps winning

June 2, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Given that Novak Djokovic played for four and a half hour, and when he finished, it was 3:00 a.m. at Roland Garros. It had rained a lot in Paris, but he stayed there, and he beat Lorenzo Musetti 7-5 6-7(6), 2-6, 6-3, 6-0. He finally looked very good, but Musetti collapsed. The No. 1 Djokovic has been struggling this year, but each match, he could play very well, and more confident. His backhand is amazing, and he can return deep, close to the lines. Now he has to face against Francisco Cerundolo, who has had a so-so year, but the Argentine can rise up. He will have to, as Djokovic will push him into the fence. The Serbian will win it in four, tight, sets

Alexander Zverev is still playing darn good, while he almost lost in a marathon, but he managed to survive, but now he has to face versus Holger Rune, who really likes on the clay. Zverev can crush the ball, on the hardcourts, but the German can become impatient,with his forehand and his backhand, and he will rush it. Zverev has yet to win a Grand Slam yet, but he has come close, at the U.S. Open, yet in France, he has been up and down. “I kind of had this conversation with myself and I realized that you know I don’t do any good to myself and especially to people and kids watching so, I’m glad it’s working out,” he said. “I mean, I worked on myself quite a lot uh in that department.”

However, in the past month, Zverev was very smart, on the court, winning Rome. His confidence is there, but Rune is trying to reach the semis at the Slams for the first time. He can be steady, and he did have a fine year in 2023, and at Rome, he reached the final, beating Casper Ruud before he lost against Daniil Medvedev. Pretty good. Ruud knows that to beat Zverev, he must be super patient, and really mix it up. Unfortunately, Zverev will gringe him, in five, fun sets.

Taylor Fritz is the only American men are left, so to beat Ruud, he is going to play lights out. Ruud reached the final at Roland Garros, and recently, he won Barcelona and Switzerland. He is so confident when he can chuck it on to the lines, and he can be very creative. Toe to toe, he can also change his tactics. That should be a wild five setter, and Fritz will really be very aggressive, but Ruud will grab it 6-4.

On Saturday, the American Emma Navarro will face versus the No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Gradually, Navarro is trying to add some new shots, and also, to be thoughtful.

“It allows for some unique tennis, which is what I like,” Navarro told WTA Insider. “I like problem-solving, I like figuring things out. I like that I can be creative. I like to play with some style. That’s what I enjoy about tennis and the clay allows for that, a little bit more than hardcourts.”

At Indian Wells in March, Navarro upset Sabalenka 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. That was one of the best day, ever. She did lose in the next round, but she seems to be better with her forehand, and her second serve. However, Sabalenka is much more close to the lines, hitting as hard as she can. Yes, Navarro will try to rallied her, but Sabalenka will take it, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Emma Navarro, french open, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, paris, roland garros, roland-garros, Taylor Fritz

Rafa Nadal loses to Alexander Zverev, but will continue

May 28, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Yes, Rafa Nadal lost in the first round against Alexander Zverev at Roland Garros 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3.

Nadal missed some key points and his backhand fell too short. The Spaniard has won 14 Grand Slams in Paris, and he was the dominate. But now, his body is super sore when he is running and he has slowed down. The reality means that eventually he must retire. Nadal knows that his career is ticking.

When will say goodbye? Not yet. He isn’t sure whether he can play at Wimbledon — which is doubtful — or the US Open, but he really wants to play the Olympics.

Maybe the 37-year-old Nadal will rise up for a few more months. However, he doesn’t really know whether he can smash his brilliant forehand, hour after hour.

“My body has been a jungle for two years and you don’t know what to expect. I wake up one day and I found a snake biting me; another day, a tiger,” Nadal said, who has won 22 Grand Slam with Roland Garros, Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open. “It’s been a big fight with all of the things I went through, but the dynamic is positive the last few weeks. I felt ready. I need to clear my ideas now and see what the new calendar is for me to be ready for the 2024 Olympics [in Paris]. I need to prepare myself the proper way: to try to arrive here healthy and well prepared – and then let’s see.”

Zverev looked almost excellent, recently winning Rome. Clearly, he has a legitimate chance to win the tournament, but it is early.

The same thing goes with Novak Djokovic, who was not happy when he lost in Rome. The No.1 can look amazing, with his steady forehand and his backhand, but he can be inpatient at times. He beat Pierre Hugues Herbert 6-4, 7-6(3), 6-4. At least now, he is feeling better.

“He gave me a lot of trouble on his serve, serve and volleying, but from my side I’m pleased with the performance,” Djokovic said.

Taylor Fritz continues to play much more aggressively, beating Fererico Coria 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-1. He would really like to reach the second week on the dirt. Fritz looked pretty good on the clay, but he has to succeed versus the other very good players. He has to be more patient.

Swiatek versus Osaka
On Wednesday, the No. 1 Iga Swiatek will face another four-time Grand Slam champion, Naomi Osaka. Swiatek has won Roland Garros three times, as well as winning the US Open, while Osaka has never gone deep into the second week in Paris. But she won the Aussie Open and the US Open twice, on the hard courts. The Polish Swiatek can beat everyone, as she just won Rome, hitting some wonderful shots. She can get frustrated, but then she can immediate focused it, into the corners. However, she did say that Osaka is a phenomenal striker.

“She’s a great person, and her game style is pretty fun to watch as well,” Swiatek said.

Osaka just game came back this year, so she still is working with her legs. However, she is very strong, and she can try to nail it with the ball. She will try that, but on clay, she won’t like to sit there and just try to grind it. Swiatek will do everything, and she win it in two hard sets.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Iga Swiatek, Matthew Cronin, naomi osaka, Novak Djokovic, paris, rafa nadal, roland garros

After taking Rome, can Zverev win Roland Garros?

May 22, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Almost exactly two years ago, Alexander Zverev fell down hard and in the semis at Roland Garros. He had to retire due to his ankle injury. His body was ruined. It has taken the German a long time to slowly improve again, and finally in Rome, he won the title, beating Nicolas Jarry.

He was very patient, he was creative, and he could mash the ball. Zverev can very controversial, but on the court, the 27-year-old can be calm, and thoughtful. The No. 4 is rising again, so in Paris, he will try to be more focused. He badly wants to win a Grand Slam for the first time.

“Because it’s clay, to start with. It’s the most physical one for me, in my opinion,” Zverev said about the three-out-of-five at Roland Garros. “It’s the physically toughest one. But I think it’s the one where I have the most memories, good or bad. US Open, yes, I was two points away from winning the title [in 2020]. Of course, that’s also one that kind of sticks out. Roland Garros, so close to being in the final [against Rafa Nadal] I felt like. I was playing some of the best tennis of my life in 2022. Those kind of things, they are still in the back of my mind. Yeah, that’s the one that I want to do well in.”

At the start of the year, Zverev looked like that his return was more consistent, and his forehand went deeper, close to the lines. But in the semis at the Aussie Open, he was up two sets, but then Daniil Medvedev began to be incredibly consistent, and then Zverev went back, and he missed some critical shots, losing 7–5, 6–3, 6–7(4), 6–7(5), 3–6. That was almost heart breaking. But right now, he wants to try it again.

“That’s the one that I want to win. That’s the one that I look forward the most maybe throughout the year,” he said. “I’m going to do everything I can this year and we’ll see where I can end up.”

It is one thing that Zverev can beat a bunch of good, but not great players, but can he take down Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, at Roland Garros, or one of them? That is a tough order. He says that he can.

“I’m somebody that I know when I don’t play well, I can lose to anyone, but when I play well, I know I can beat anyone. That’s my mindset,” Zverev said. “That’s how I think about it. I know I have to focus on myself, to find my rhythm in Paris the way I did here. Then everything is on my own racquet.”

Once again in Paris in 2023, in the semis, he was very formable, but Casper Ruud was super steady, and the Norwegian won. However, Zverev just won Rome, so on the excellent clay, he is thrilled and more mature, when he is thinking. Now he has to drive it.

“Nole is going to be at his best. You’ll see,” Zverev said. “It’s just the way it is. Rafa is going to play a lot better than he did in Madrid and Rome. I’m certain about that. The other two [Sinner and Alcaraz] they just depend on health. If they’re healthy, they’re two of the best players in the world, for sure, and there’s no question about it. Whether or not they are healthy, I cannot answer because I don’t know. I’m not inside their body. I saw Jannik posted a picture of him practicing again, so I’m assuming he’s fine and feeling good on the tennis court. Look, it’s all about health. When they’re healthy, they’re two of the best players in the world.”

Just like Zverev, who is healthly, and the best player, too? That is a huge question.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, roland garros, rome

Rome: Alexander Zverev amazed by Rafa Nadal

May 9, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Before they start to play in Rome, Alexander Zverev talked with the journalist whether Rafa Nadal will play in Roland Garros, who will likely be the last time in Paris. Nadal has won 14 Grand Slams at Roland Garros. Zverev was playing terrific, but he fell down and he ruined his leg. He had to retire. Nadal won, eventually, and while Zverev is much better now than he returned when he did, but he still isn’t playing 100% on court.

Yet Zverev does have a few memories. When he started, on the tour, he could see that Nadal is phenomenal.

“I have mixed feelings and mixed emotions obviously about that match, about playing him there just simply because it was one of the best tennis matches I’ve ever played in my career, but it was the worst ending I’ve ever had to a tennis match in my career,” Zverev said. “ [Nadal] ball becomes all of a sudden a few kilometers an hour faster. All of a sudden his footwork and foot speed becomes a lot faster. It’s more difficult to hit a winner, especially on Philippe Chatrier, which is a massive court, so he has a lot more space. It is very difficult. It’s the biggest challenge that you can have in our sport, playing Nadal on that court. I would love to do it one more time just simply to kind of have a different ending to those memories, right? That’s just something in my mind. I would love to play him one more time.”

They might in Rome, or in Paris, in the next four weeks. But we don’t know, yet. Nadal has not yet reached into the semis this year, playing three events, when he returned, and the injured man is still not yet healthy. But he said that he could play 100 percent, but he doesn’t sure, yet. Regardless, Nadal will fight on, and hope that he can go deep in Rome. He will face Zizou Bergs, the Belgian, on center court. People will cheer him, every second.

There are a number people who are still there, the Italian men and the women. Somewhat sadly, the world No. 2 Jannik Sinner pulled out, due to another injury, but Matteo Arnaldi can play on the number one court, and the young man will play against Tomas Machac in front of a lot of fans. He really has to feel on the ball.

Over the past year, Jasmine Paolini has added more game. She might not be very tall, but she can drive the ball, corner to corner. She is 28-years-old, which mean that she is a veteran, but she did won Dubai two months ago, so she has to thrown in some more, aggressive, shots.

“Usually I want to hit more flat, but my coach says to me always to try to play more topspin because it’s good to have a variation on your game. I think it’s something different because in female tennis you see like more flat shots,” she said. “It’s not easy also because you need maybe a little bit more time. But I try to mix it up a little bit. I think it’s good to change a little bit the variation, the speed of the ball,”

There will be three more matches on Thursday with Emma Navarro against Paula Badosa, Shelby Rogers against the No. 7, Qinwen Zheng, and Amanda Anisimova, who just became back this year against to play with the veteran, Sara Errani. Talk about stroke after stroke, for many hours.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, amanda anisimova, Emma Navarro Paula Badosa, Jasmine Paolini, Matthew Cronin, Qinwen Zheng, rafa nadal, Rom, Shelby Rogers

Can Danielle Collins rise up again?

March 28, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Collins: “This is a really big life decision.”

She has had a tough year, but the American Danielle Collins is on a wildfire, having beaten a number of the players in Miami. Yes, she will retire at the end of the year, but what she really wants to do is to win a huge title. She may not, but she is in the semis against Ekaterina Alexandrova, so she certainly will go for it, with her massive forehand and her backhand. However, she can really mess it up, and throw in lots of errors. She could be more patient, and wait until it is the right time, to go for it, but won’t do it, often. At least this week, she is trying to do something different. At least a little bit.

“It helped [her] be able to kind of control my shots more and hit them with more accuracy and precision,” she said. “I’m enjoying my career. I’m having a lot of fun. I love coming out here and competing. But at the end of the day, like, this is a really big life decision, and I think that that should be pretty understandable.”

She will have to find the lines, as the Russian, Alexandrova, can also try to split the ball. Either way, the winner will have to jump on the corners, and reach.

When she is so solid, Elena Rybakina can beat anyone, if she becomes frustrated. She is quick, she can chuck it around, and she can also slam it. But with her, the No. 4 can misplace it, and almost disappear. With her, you don’t really know.

The same goes with Victoria Azarenka, and they will face off on Thursday. The veteran has always been super intense, and she will swing it so hard. However, she also can be upset, when she is not playing great, and then she will lose it. She has won Miami three times, and she looked phenomenal, but that has been a long time ago, so the 34-year-old has to play very well, as her serve and her return is so-so.

The German Alexander Zverev is more consistent than he did before, and he will make an attempt to control it, point after point. He has to face the new young player, Fabian Marozsan, who is rising. However, he has a lot of work to do, as he lost a number of matches this year. Let’s see if he can trouble Zverev, but I doubt, that.

Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Grigor Dimitrov three times, but in the fall in Shanghai, the Bulgarian edged him 6-4 in the third. Dimitrov always really likes to move it crosscourt, and to slice it. However, so does the Spaniard, who throws in some terrific, fantastic shots, and plus, he is extremely fast. This should be a fun match, but right it at the end, the No. 2 Alcaraz will beat him one more time. He is trying to become No. 1. Not this week, but soon enough.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Left, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, danielle Collins, Matt Cronin, Matthew Cronin, miami, victoria azarenka

Indian Wells: Taylor Fritz vs Holger Rune

March 13, 2024 by Matthew Cronin

Here comes the American, again, when Taylor Fritz will have to take out against Holger Rune, who once again, he is playing more real, on the court. He has had a decent season, this year, but he has to re-figure what he must do, and stay there, if he has to.

On Wednesday night in at Indian Wells, he will be pumped up, but he has to think about what types of his shots, and where he will go. He did it here two years ago, when he put together for 10 days, and he became super consistent. However, after that, he won some terrific matches, but he has yet to do another ATP 1000 again, so now, he will try to go it again.

Last year, the Denmark Rune had some fine matches, going deep on the hard courts, the clay (especially in Monte-Carlo and Rome) and the grass. He didn’t win it all, but it was close enough, so if he is feeling good, then the No. 7 can start beating against the top players. He can be super solid, with his backhand, and he can return, too.

But if Fritz can be immediately aggressive, then he can push him way back and put it away. He can bash his forehand and his backhand, and he can hit it down the line, and also go crosscourt. Yes, Fritz can return pretty decent, and when he is confident, he can make an attempt to hit it very deep. The think is, though, is he is not terrific at the net, and his backhand could be so-so. But as he said: “I think both, it’s the same kind of thing,” Fritz said. “I’ve always felt confident here, even before winning. I feel like I always performed well and played well. It’s the same thing. I come here and from the first hit, kind of just feeling the courts, it feels really good for me.”

Rune is only 20-years- old, so he has to understand exactly what he has to do, when he returning, and mix it up. He is fast, running, and he can move forward, and trust it around. Rune’s forehand can be powerful, his backhand is somewhat solid, and he can throw it all around the box. But it is all about the week, and while he hasn’t gone deep this year, perhaps he is adding some more different shots.

Both Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev won there matches, and they will face off on Thursday. It has to be a tremendous match at nigh. A darn, good match.

NOTES
Also late at night on Wednesday, the No. 11 Daria Kasatkina will take on Yuan Yue. Kasatkina reached the finals at Abu Dhabi and Adelaide this year, and while she didn’t win it, she was threatening. Yuan has been quiet over the past few years, but now she is trying to hit the ball, harder. They all have to, at some point.

On Tuesday, the No.1 Iga Swiatek crushed Yulia Putintseva 6-1, 6-2. You never know when she doesn’t play well at all, but that is very rare. Caroline Wozniacki played pretty decent when she beat Angelique Kerber 6-4, 6-2. They both were hurt, physically, a small amount, but they kept going. Wozniacki thinks she can go even further. Oh, really? Hmmm.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Carlos Alcaraz, Caroline Wozniacki, Holger Rune, Iga Swiatek, indian wells, Matthew Cronin, Taylor Fritz

ATP Finals day 6: Alcaraz over Medvedev, Zverev over Rublev

November 16, 2023 by Matthew Cronin

Carlos Alcaraz over Daniil Medvedev
Will Carlos Alcaraz beat Daniil Medvedev for the second time this year and advance into the semis? That is possible, although Alexander Zverev took him down in the first match. He looked a little bit erratic, with his forehand and his serves, yet against Andrey Rublev, he recovered.

Now, the two time Grand Slam has to play even better, as the Russian, Medvedev, is super steady, again, and his forehand down the line is terrific. He knows that on the fast hard courts, he has to bring him down. At the U.S. Open, in the semis, Medvedev played as well as he could, beating him in four sets. Alcaraz will have to changed it up

“Medvedev is one of the best players in the world. … You have to play very well tactically, be patient and aggressive at the same time. It’s very difficult to beat him,” Alcaraz said. “You have to wait for the opportunity, but run and be calm, and get five or six shots in per point until the chance comes, while being aware that often it won’t.”

Of course, he realizes that the Spaniard can get enthusiastic, and bash his backhand. Or is he could, he can kiss it on the net. Alcaraz did beat him in the semis at Wimbledon and the Indian Wells, so he will be ready to face off.

Medvedev might changed it up, and surprise him.

“I’m going to try my best to play Carlos,” said Medvedev. “The moment you relax and say to yourself, ‘Maybe this match I can go easier,’ you can lose all the rhythm. That’s how tennis is. … So I need to play fast.”

Alcaraz has had a good fall, but not specular. Medvedev has also been up and down, but on Friday, he will hit some phenomenal winners, in the third set, and he will take it 4-6, 7-6, 6-4.

Alexander Zverev over Andrey Rublev
Andrey Rublev has not had a good week, at all. Not all the times, but too frequently. Alexander Zverev did beat Alcaraz, so from the backcourt, he slammed a number of winners. He has yet to win a Grand Slam, even though he has come close, and Zverev really does think that if he can be healthy, then he will have a chance next year.

The big thing, though is that Zverev has won the ATP Finals twice, in 2018 and 2021. That was very impressive. One way another, at night, he has to win, or go home.
The German will win, 7-5, 6-3.

Filed Under: Featured Bottom Right, Lead Story Tagged With: Alexander Zverev, Andrey Rublev, atp finals, Carlos Alcaraz, daniil medvedev, Matthew Cronin, Turin