Four things to watch out for in Carlos Alcaraz's quarterfinal clash with Alexander Zverev at the US Open 2023
Top seed and world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz of Spain will take on 12th seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in the quarterfinal of the US Open in New York on Wednesday, September 6. Alcaraz is also the defending champion and will start as the favourite in the match.
However, Zverev has a positive head-to-head record (3-2) against the 20-year-old Spaniard and should be no pushover. The German will stand a realistic chance of causing an upset, but should find it considerably difficult to do so.
On that note, let us take a look at four things that might determine the fate of the match:
#1. Alcaraz’s ability to involve Zverev’s forehand more often
Zverev’s forehand is a much-improved shot, but is still inferior to his powerful backhand. Hence, Alcaraz will try to play his crosscourt forehand more often to put pressure on the 26-year-old German’s forehand. The Spaniard would try to engage in as many crosscourt forehand exchanges as possible to assert his supremacy.
The reverse is true, as far as the backhands of the two players are concerned. Zverev whould try to put pressure on the Spaniard’s backhand more often and then try to pull the trigger down-the-line to take his opponent by surprise. Zverev’s down-the-line backhand is a very powerful shot and he should be ready to use it to the maximum extent.
#2. Alcaraz using the drop shot more often
Alcaraz will probably try to disrupt Zverev's rhythm from the baseline by playing drop shots often and then use his superior net skills.
The Spaniard has a world-class drop shot and lob, and would be ready to reap the rewards for having them. Zverev’s volleying skills are not quite at par with the Spaniard’s and his powerful game from the baseline might prove to be a bit one-dimensional.
#3. Zverev trying to dominate with his power
The German’s only chance of winning the contest will be to overpower his opponent for the majority of the match with his powerful serve and groundstrokes. He might try to blast the Spaniard out of the court just like he did in the French Open semifinal in 2022 that proved to be quite ill-fated for him in the end.
However, Alcaraz is no slouch in the power department himself and has considerably more variety in his game and remains the one to watch out for.
#4. Alcaraz's superior record in Slams
Alcaraz is mentally tougher than Zverev, who has often flattered to deceive in Grand Slams. The German’s record in the best-of-five format is not very encouraging, compared to the Spaniard’s.
Alcaraz has already won a couple of Grand Slams and could probably have won a third had he not been injured in the French Open semifinal in 2023 against Novak Djokovic.
In comparison, Zverev is yet to reach a Grand Slam final while being six years older than the Spaniard. The German, who remains a fine player in the best-of-three format, will have to do something special to topple the world No. 1 on Wednesday.