Alexander Zverev started his 2024 Wimbledon Championships campaign with a solid straight-sets win over Roberto Carballes Baena.
The Spaniard is not the most natural player on grass because he spends most of his time on clay. Even so, he can be a tricky player to play against because he loves to extend rallies and try to outlast his opponents that way.
Unfortunately for him, he ran into Zverev, who doesn't necessarily mind playing such tennis. The German didn't look to play that way on grass. He preferred to play really aggressively and take it to his opponent.
The opening set lasted only 30 minutes, and it was an easy win for Zverev, 6-2. He dominated play from the baseline, hitting more winners than his opponent, which greatly contributed to that score.
The second set wasn't as quick because the Spaniard fought better. He found better solutions in the second set because he limited the number of mistakes that he made, but he still wasn't sharp enough to really hurt the fourth seed too much.
The German's only preparation event came in Halle, and it wasn't that brilliant of a showing, but it didn't matter in this match. He blasted 23 winners in that second set to take it 6-4, and the third set didn't go much differently.
An early break by Zverev put him up 2-0, and from there, it was a rather simple cruise to the finish line. He had to save break points from going up 2-0, but once he did, he cruised to the finish line, winning the match 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.
It was a really solid display from the German, who seemed very confident ahead of this event, and this win confirmed his words. His serve was working well, and his aggressive nature was also a welcome sight due to his defensive tendencies.
| Alexander Zverev | 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 | Roberto Carballes Baena |
| 18 | Aces | 7 |
| 2 | Double Faults | 3 |
| 74% | First Serve % | 56% |
| 87% (45/52) | Points Won After First Serve % | 58% (31/53) |
| 59% (10/17) | Points Won After Second Serve % | 52% (22/42) |
| 36% (5/14) | Break Point Conversion | 0% (0/4) |
| 45 | Winners | 17 |
| 27 | Unforced Errors | 21 |