Boris Becker hails Alexander Zverev after Monte-Carlo Masters 1R win
Boris Becker hailed fellow German Alexander Zverev after the latter got past the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Zverev's clay season commenced with a comeback 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Alexander Bublik on Tuesday. The German looked rusty in the opening minutes of the game. However, he adapted to the conditions and began moving better as the game progressed.
Taking to social media after the match, Becker applauded Zverev for his determined comeback.
"Congratulations Sascha," he wrote on his Instagram stories.
Before his match on Tuesday, Zverev last played on the clay surface at the 2022 French Open, where he retired from his semifinal clash against Rafael Nadal citing an ankle injury. Despite the long break, Zverev managed to come to terms with the surface effectively, showing why he is at his best on clay.
During his on-court interview, Zverev, however, admitted that it took more than the usual time for him to acclamatize to the court conditions.
"I have had two weeks of practise now. It is the most natural surface for me. It usually takes me five or 10 minutes to get used to a clay court, but this year was a bit different," he stated. "I needed to get the injury out of my head. I needed to get used to sliding again."
Alexander Zverev also hailed Bublik, who "tactically" broke the German's rhythm at times. He even felt that his opponent would have won the match on another day.
"It felt awful at times to be honest, but he made me feel awful. Tactically he played well, he didn’t let me play my game at all. He didn’t let me have my rhythm and he almost won the match, just a few points here and there," Zverev said.
Alexander Zverev will next face Roberto Bautista Agut at the Monte-Carlo Masters
Alexander Zverev will face Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Wednesday. This will be their seventh meeting on tour. Zverev leads Bautista Agut 4-2 in the head-to-head. Their last encounter at the 2018 Swiss Indoors saw the German prevail in straight sets.
When it comes to clay, the spoils are shared over two matches. Bautista Agut won the first-round match at the 2013 Hamburg Open, while Zverev emerged victorious in the 2017 Bavarian International Tennis Championships semifinals.
Neither player is in the best form at the moment. However, Alexander Zverev's dominance on clay could prove to be the difference.