Tennis at Wimbledon - Face contorted in pain - Zverev falls and wins
After a brief moment of terror, tennis Olympic gold medalist Alexander Zverev is now making his Wimbledon Quarterfinal debut. The German top player advanced with a dominant 6:4, 6:4, 7:6 (17:15) win over British player Cameron Norrie in the third round. This is already Zverev's best Wimbledon result.
Tension mounted towards the end as Zverev faced the possibility of dropping the first set in the unusual long tiebreak for the first time in the tournament. With the sixth match point, however, the native of Hamburg secured the next victory on his way to his first Grand Slam title.
"I feel like a cow on ice on grass. I feel limited in a few movements," Zverev commented on his fall and hinted at getting his leg checked. He was extremely happy about the win. "It's an incredible honor to play on Centre Court and in front of the Royal Box," Zverev said and greeted a few words to football coach Pep Guardiola, whom he had seen sitting there.
Zverev slips on the grass
After winning the first set convincingly, Zverev had to endure a scare at the beginning of the second set in front of nearly 15,000 spectators on Centre Court. He slipped on the grass when the score was 2:2, extended his left leg, and lay there with a distorted face.
For a brief moment, memories of his severe foot injury from the French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal in 2022 resurfaced. This time, Zverev injured his left knee. A physiotherapist came onto the court, but Zverev even declined a medical timeout and continued playing shortly thereafter.
With a bandage under the left knee
A few times, Zverev sought contact with his box. However, he secured the next break at 5:4 and shouted out his joy. During the changeover, the German number one called the physiotherapist to himself, but only exchanged a few words with him. Only after winning the second set did he allow a bandage to be placed under his left knee.
Facing the last British hope in the Men's Singles, Zverev made his debut on Centre Court at this year's Wimbledon. He went onto the court knowing that he had lost all five previous encounters against Norrie. In Australia at the start of the season, he was close to defeat against the left-hander but managed to hold on in the fifth-set tiebreak.
Zverev prefers indoor courts
"We played indoors on hard courts at 30 degrees. Here we play on grass. It's a completely different match," the US Open finalist of 2020 had said earlier: "If I can maintain this level, which I showed in the first two games, then I have chances."
As in the two Wimbledon matches beforehand, the roof was closed due to the persistent rain. Conditions that suited Zverev. A key factor in Zverev's game was once again his strong serve, as he didn't allow a single break chance. The third set was evenly matched until the end.
Surprisingly, Norrie challenged Zverev with a sneaky underhand serve at 6:5 for the set win. The German number one had to face his first tiebreak in the tournament and held on despite five set points against him.
The German top player escaped the fate from last year, when he was knocked out in the third round against Italian Matteo Berrettini. For the third time, in 2017 and 2021, he is now present at the Wimbledon grass-court classic, in the round of 16. In the fight for a spot in the quarterfinals, Zverev faces either American Taylor Fritz or Chilean Alejandro Tabilo on Monday.
Zverev's win at Wimbledon has caught the attention of international tennis circles, including football coach Pep Guardiola who was present in the Royal Box.
Germany's Alexander Zverev, despite slipping on the grass during the second set, managed to overcome the issue and advance to the Wimbledon Quarterfinals, showing great resilience.
The success of Zverev at Wimbledon highlights his adaptability, as the grass court tournament presents a different challenge compared to his preferred indoor courts.
Great Britain's Cameron Norrie, who has previously bested Zverev in five encounters, will face the German in the round of 16 of this year's Wimbledon, aiming to upset the rising star.
Being in Great Britain and playing on such prestigious international courts like Wimbledon, Zverev experiences a sense of awe and gratitude, often expressing his honor of being on Centre Court before renowned figures like Pep Guardiola.
