After missing six months due to an injury, Alexander Zverev returned to action at the Diriyah Tennis Cup in Saudi Arabia. Former world no. 2 faced Dominic Thiem in the opening match and beat his great friend in two match tie breaks.
The German set the quarter-final clash against Daniil Medvedev and experienced a 6-0, 6-4 loss. Medvedev sealed the deal in an hour and 32 minutes, prevailing in the opening three games and scoring a bagel in the first set.
Daniil injured his left calf while chasing a drop shot at deuce in the sixth game, but he continued without issues. Medvedev came from 3-1 down in the second set to seal the deal in straight sets. The Russian broke five times and saved two out of three break chances to control the result.
Zverev wasted a break chance in the encounter’s first game after a terrible forehand and netted another in game two to offer Medvedev two break chances. The German played another wayward forehand on the second to get broken and fall 2-0 behind.
Alexander wasted a break chance in game three after another forehand mistake and found himself 3-0 down when Daniil cracked a forehand down the line winner. Medvedev grabbed his second break with a forehand return winner in game four and moved 5-0 up with a service winner.
Alexander fended off a set point in game six with a service winner, squandered a game point and faced the second set point. The German saved it, and the Russian asked for a medical timeout due to a calf injury. He continued and clinched the third set point after Zverev’s forehand mistake for 6-0 in 40 minutes.
Alexander Zverev is thrilled to compete again.
Daniil held at the start of the second set with a service winner, and Alexander finally grabbed his first game in the next one, making a proper celebration out of it. Medvedev failed to convert a game point at 1-1 and dropped a 34-stroke exchange after Zverev’s volley winner at the net to fall behind.
Alexander held after deuce in the next one to cement the break before placing a forehand wide in the sixth game to bring Daniil back to 3-3. Medvedev held at love in game seven, and Zverev took the next one with an unreturned serve for 4-4.
Daniil clinched the ninth game at love, and Alexander served to stay in the match. Zverev faced three match points and placed a backhand wide on the first to lose serve and end his campaign. “I’m happy to have played two matches yesterday.
I was pleased to be able to compete at this level and play with Daniil. Of course, the first set could have been better, but I expected that. I was happy with the level and how I moved in the second set. It shows that I’m on the right path, although there’s still a long way to go.
It was a very positive trip for me as well. Sports-wise, too, because it showed me the level I’m on, and my foot is healthy enough to compete with those guys. But it also showed me that I have a lot of work ahead of me. Generally, I’m happy with how it went, and I’m looking to what’s ahead,” Alexander Zverev said.
