Alexander Zverev will make his start at the Halle Open against Dominic Thiem and he's excited about being back at the event.
Zverev was scheduled to make his grass season debut last week at the Stuttgart Open but he opted to skip it over to allow the minor injury he picked up in the Roland Garros semi-final to heal properly. He got a lucky break when Auger-Aliassime withdrew from the event, pushing him into the seeded spot.
Even so, he'll face Dominic Thiem in the opening round though that matchup shouldn't be too complicated due to the Austrian's own struggles this year. Zverev showed a much-improved level at Roland Garros and he's carried over that confidence to Halle.
I’m happy with my form. I’m playing well, everything is okay. I am now able to come to a tournament again and say: I can and I want to win.
He will have a chance to back up those words in Halle this week. Grass has been an okay surface for Zverev over the years but certainly not one of his best. The serve is a major weapon, especially in Halle but he needs to avoid his risk-taking with it to avoid playing himself in the corner.
It's been a problem for much of his career but lately, he's been able to control it far better. Zverev's Halle experience has been mostly fair as he created some great memories at the event. Back in 2016, a very young Zverev defeated Roger Federer in the semi-final.
He's made the final two times in singles losing both times. He's also made the final two times in doubles but again lost both times. Perhaps this year proves different. Perhaps this event is destined to be his first trophy after the injury and comeback. Stay with us and find out!
0 Comments