Alexander Zverev confidently advances to the third round
Zverev had to fight, but in the end he prevailed with confidence
Source: Getty Images / Daniel Pockett
Alexander Zverev took the next step on his way to a coveted first Grand Slam title. The German Olympic champion won his second round match against Australian John Millman in three sets.
nNot even the loud speakers of the Rod Laver Arena could not bother Alexander Zverev. Wait for a while for the referee to lift the phone to resolve the issue with those responsible. Then serve the ace as if nothing had happened. The scene in the middle of the first sentence shows how much Zverev, who has matured greatly in recent months, has focused on long stretches to finally celebrate his confident entry into the third round of the Australian Open. Against John Millman, he was third in the world rankings 6:4, 6:4, 6:0.
“A clear increase in performance” expert Boris Becker analyzed on the “Eurosport” microphone and noted the difficult opening match against his compatriot Daniel Altmaier. “He played more powerfully and better, not perfect, but this is the second round. Above all, 6-0 in the third set is good.”
Zverev had to muster a lot in the intense Australia showdown, especially at the start of the match. The crowd favorite repeatedly forced the German favorite to take part in long races in the first group and was also led by almost 7,000 spectators in the stands of the main court.
“I was ready for everyone to hate me after the match,” Zverev said with a smile in an interview with the winner. It was not affected by the weather before. Instead, Zverev, who was still struggling with his serve against Altmaier, sent confidently in the early stages of the match and completed the second set ball with a header to make it 6:4.
Short wiggle in the second sentence
The third place in the world rankings fluctuated only briefly in the second division. When the score was 3:2, Zverev made life difficult for himself with some double fouls and had to save two balls. The Melbourne semi-finalist since 2020 found his way back to a first good serve at the crucial moment and turned the game in his favor with four easy points in a row.
At the latest with the following 6:4 in the second set, the world’s 89th resistance was broken. While Millman was barely managing anything, Zverev was able to play freely in the third set and slowly approached his all-time high, which he will need for the upcoming assignments in Melbourne.
Source: AP / Andy Brownbill
On his way to winning his first grand slam title, qualifier Radu Albot, who beat Australian Aleksandar Vukic in three sets, awaits in the third round. Zverev already knows his next opponent. In the only match between the two so far at the 2019 US Open, the Hamburg player fought more than five sets, but ultimately prevailed. The 2020 US Open finalist looked forward: “He’s someone who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, and the game will be on my racket.”
Three Germans were eliminated
As expected before the tournament kicks off, German hopes remain on Zverev. After eliminating Yannick Hanfmann, Dominic Kupfer and Oscar Otti on Wednesday, the 24-year-old became one of only two German entrants remaining in the singles competition. Only Philip Kohlschreiber still has a chance to catch the third round on Thursday. However, the 38-year-old veteran is clearly an outsider against Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut.
Hanfmann managed to at least qualify for the praise from the grandmaster, even if he previously had no chance against Rafael Nadal on center court. “I think he played great tennis and played really hard,” Nadal said. “It was not an easy match at all.” The Spaniard who was sixth won 6:2, 6:3, 6:4.
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