Alexander Zverev wants to win the 2024 US Open, but to do that, he will have to go through Taylor Fritz, who will be backed by the home crowd.
Zverev stood once in the US Open final, and while he came close to doing that again, he never reached it again. Yet. He's hoping this year is that year, but he's only in the quarter-final so far, and he could be in the semi-final if he beats Fritz.
It won't be an easy task because Fritz is an American player. He will have the backing of the crowd, and he's generally been a decent performer at the US Open in his career, reaching the quarter-finals also last year.
His match against Casper Ruud showed just how devastating he can be when things are clicking, and any player would struggle with that. Zverev certainly has proven to be beatable this year.
It's been an amazing year for the German, possibly one of the best in his career, but he's not impossible to beat, and his opponent knows that as well. The margins are small between them because they are both hard to break and in good form.
Head-to-head:
The two played plenty of matches already, and Zverev leads the H2H 5-4. Most of these were very competitive matches that rarely finished in straight sets, but some did as well.
Their most recent match was played earlier this year at Wimbledon, and Fritz was able to win it. Zverev actually held a 2-0 lead in sets, but the German struggled physically, allowing Fritz to turn around the match.
Two of their matches were played on the American hard courts, and one was won by Fritz while the other was won by Zverev. It's been a really close matchup. Their second match this year happened in Rome, and Zverev won that one.
They never played at the US Open, but based on the conditions alone, it should be a court that favors Fritz more. He will be able to win points with his serve, but so will Zverev.
Both will have to rely heavily on the serve to minimize the chances their opponent will have. It's just the nature of the court and the conditions in which they will play again.
Converting chances will also be pretty crucial, but Fritz should be the more aggressive player. He will likely look to finish points on his terms, as that will increase his chances of winning.
| Alexander Zverev | Taylor Fritz | |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | H2H | 4 |
| 4 | Rank | 12 |
| 27 | Age | 26 |
| 56-16 | 2024 W/L | 42-16 |
| 450-193 | Career W/L | 273-183 |
Prediction:
Zverev's ability to absorb power from his opponents is what makes him a very solid pick to win this match. That, combined with his more aggressive approach, will give him a chance to mix things up really well.
Fritz is a good attacking player, but as he showed against Ruud, at times, he can and does get quite erratic. If he falls into that trap, there is a good chance that Zverev will win the match. If, however, the American plays his best tennis, then he can surely win the match as well.
Prediction: Alexander Zverev to win in four sets.
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