Alexander Zverev

[Joao]

[Damian]

Zverev Beats Djokovic For Rome Title

Spoiler:

#NextGenATP star celebrates his first Masters 1000 crown
Alexander Zverev has won the biggest match of his life, dismissing World No. 2 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 during the Internazionali BNL d'Italia final in Rome. The #NextGenATP star wins his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title during his first try, and the 20-year-old simply outplayed Djokovic, a 30-time Masters 1000 titlist, controlling play from the back of the court with his fluid two-handed backhand and heavy forehand.
Zverev becomes the youngest Masters 1000 titlist since a 19-year-old Djokovic won the 2007 Miami Open presented by Itau. He will break into the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings as well, jumping from No. 17 to No. 10 when the new rankings are released on Monday.
Here is how the #NextGenATP German kept Djokovic from winning a record 31st Masters 1000 crown:
ZVEREV TAKES FIRST SET 6-4
Zverev, playing in his first Masters 1000 final, jumped on top from the start, breaking Djokovic in the first game. The Serbian missed all five first serves that game, and, at 15/40, Zverev pounced on a second serve, smashing a forehand cross-court that Djokovic netted. The #NextGenATP German solidified the break with ease, acing Djokovic for the first time for a 2-0 lead.
Djokovic eventually settled in as well, mixing in drop shots against the 6'6” Zverev to hold for 2-3. At times, the set was a battle of world-class backhands: Djokovic's two-hander, which typically dominates that contest, against Zverev's two-hander, which also might be one of the best on the ATP World Tour. In their first FedEx ATP Head2Head meeting, both players looked for ways to keep the other off balance.
But Zverev's serve was ultimately the difference in the first set against Djokovic, who couldn't find a way to break the #NextGenATP star. Zverev landed almost 75 per cent of his first serves, and sealed the opener with a service winner out wide on the deuce court. The Hamburg native won 20/26 points on serve.

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ZVEREV WINS THE ROME TITLE 6-4, 6-3
If Zverev was surprised by his play in the first set, he didn't show it in the beginning of the second set. The German stuck to his successful tactics, again seeking to tee off on Djokovic's serve and push the Serbian behind the baseline to start the point. With Djokovic serving at 30/30, 1-1, Zverev stepped into the court and blasted an inside-out backhand winner to see his first break point of the set.
The next point, after an aggressive return from Zverev, Djokovic netted a tentative forehand into the net, and the 20 year old had another early break at 2-1.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Mahut/Herbert Clinch Rome Crown
Djokovic found success in moving Zverev from side to side in the back of the court, but after eight service games, the Serbian had still not seen a break point. He had to fight to hold his serve as well, erasing another break point at 2-4.
The next game, meanwhile, as Djokovic grew more frustrated, Zverev swelled with confidence, holding to love with a forehand winner. The German would finish with 16 winners, compared to 14 unforced errors, for the match.
He'd end the contest with his third break of the final. Djokovic double faulted to give Zverev a match point, and the Serbian lifted a backhand long as Zverev prepared to celebrate the biggest win of his life.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/djo ... set-by-set

[DUN I LOVE]

Zacne towarzystwo.

[Damian]

[Damian]

[Lucas]

Zverev Puts On Serving Clinic For Rome Title

Spoiler:

Alexander Zverev was competing in his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final on Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, but he handled the occasion like it was a familiar feeling. The 16th seed captured the biggest title of his career with a brilliant display of tennis to defeat second seed Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3.
“I'm very happy with the way I played and my performance all week, I think today was one of the best matches I ever played,” said Zverev. “I knew I had to be aggressive from the first point to the last. It was very important for me to be able to stay this aggressive and not let him take over the game.”
Zverev was given the winner’s trophy by Rod Laver in the on-court trophy presentation. The 20 year old becomes the youngest winner in Rome since a 19-year-old Rafael Nadal prevailed in 2006 and the youngest Masters 1000 winner since a 19-year-old Djokovic won Miami in 2007.
He is also the first player born in the 1990s to win a Masters 1000 title. Zverev also created a moment for German tennis history by becoming the first German to win a Masters 1000 title since Tommy Haas (Stuttgart-indoor) in 2001 and only the fourth overall, joining Boris Becker and Michael Stich in the rarified air.
The milestone title will push the #NextGenATP star inside the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time when the new standings are released on Monday, He will move up to No. 10, up from his previous career-high of No. 17.
Zverev will move to fourth in the Emirates ATP Race to London as he seeks to make his first trip to the season-ending ATP Finals. He also extends his lead in the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, which determines who will qualify for the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan from 7-11 November. Zverev has accumulated 2,130 race points, more than triple that of all his peers in contention.

Djokovic, appearing in his fourth consecutive Rome final, drops to 4-4 on the final Sunday at this event and 30-13 in Masters 1000 finals. He was seeking his first Masters 1000 title since last July at the Rogers Cup (d. Nishikori) and first ATP World Tour title since his opening event of the season in Doha (d. Murray).
“He served very well. I just wasn't able to get any rhythm on my returns. If we would get into a rally, he would smash the ball from the first or second shot,” said Djokovic. “There is no doubt he took time away from me. It happens. If he serves this well and this efficiently, it's tough to play him on any surface.”
Zverev picks up 1,000 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a hefty cheque for €820,035. Djokovic earns 600 Emirates ATP Rankings points and a cheque for €402,080.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/djo ... tch-report

[Lucas]

Zverev Looking Ahead After Breakthrough Rome Title

Spoiler:

Alexander Zverev won his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title on Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, but he’s already thinking about the work he’ll need to put in for more big titles in the future.
By defeating Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s Rome final, Zverev will crack the Top 10 of the Emirates ATP Rankings for the first time at No. 10. However, the young German said his fellow #NextGenATP peers quickly moving up the rankings, in addition to the slew of in-form players on tour at the moment, means he can’t rest on his laurels.
“When I was 11 or 12, I thought I'd probably win about four Slams already by the age of 20,” joked Zverev. “Then when I was 16, everything started to be more realistic. I could not imagine Top 10 by the age of 20. It's something truly amazing. Getting there is one thing, but staying there is going to be very, very difficult.
“Even though I won this title, I will be back on the practice courts very soon trying to improve my game,” said Zverev. “I’m trying to get better and accomplish even more.”
His win over Djokovic in the final was particularly poignant since the Serbian has literally watched Zverev grow up. Djokovic has long played a supportive role in Zverev’s tennis development and, with the exception of when they face off in matches, is rooting for him to succeed.
“He’s known me since I was four years old. My brother and him are the same age and played juniors together. I always practised with him. He always took me for warm-ups when I was still a junior at big tournaments and Grand Slams,” said Zverev. “Our relationship is very good. He obviously wished me all the best for the future and in Paris and I wished him that also. He’s one of the best guys on tour.”

Zverev is now in the unique position of being able to qualify for the ATP Finals and the inaugural Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan. He moves to fourth in the Emirates ATP Race to London and holds a dominant lead in the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, which determines who will qualify for the event from 7-11 November.
But while Zverev holds more than triple the points of all his peers in the Emirates ATP Race to Milan, he was quick to acknowledge the success many of them have had this year.
“We have seven or eight top 100 guys under the age of 21 right now. It's not like I'm the only one who has success,” said Zverev. “Obviously there will always be good juniors, World No. 1 players who will have a more difficult time in the pros than they had in juniors because they may be expecting themselves to win from the beginning, and it doesn't always work like that. You have to keep doing the work and improving.”
His modest approach is also reflected in his thoughts on Roland Garros, where he downplayed his chances of prevailing at the second Grand Slam of the year. Although he is one of the clear contenders to make a deep run in Paris, Zverev was unwilling to declare himself as the man to beat.
“The strong favorite is still definitely Rafael Nadal. Novak is playing great again. Dominic Thiem has been showing he's been playing very well,” said Zverev. “I just won here, so I’ve got to put myself on that list, even though I don't want to say that I'm the favourite myself. But the guys who have been playing the best over the past few weeks are definitely the favourites.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/zve ... 7-reaction

[Joao]

Alex Zverev przełamał beton i został:

1) najmłodszy zwycięzcą Rzymu od 2005 (Nadal),
2) najmłodszym triumfatorem Mastersa od 2007 (Djokovic)
3) najwyższym (łącznie z Ciliciem-198 cm) zdobywcą Mastersa

Uzupełnienie:


4) 5 miejsce wśród najmłodszych zwycięzców Rzymu w erze Open (2 miejsce od kiedy turniej zyskał rangę Masters czyli do 1990)

5) zdobył 3 tytuły turniejów ATP-500 i ATP-250 przed wygraniem pierwszego Mastersa (tak samo jak Djokovic i Chang, lepsi Pernfors 2 i Carretero 0 )

[grzes430]

22.05.2017

Najwyższy ranking w karierze: 10

[Joao]

[DUN I LOVE]

Aż dziw, że ATP nie przywitało lidera NextGen w Top-10, oficjalnym banerkiem na stronie.

[Lucas]

Zverev's Fast Starts Spark Easy Holds

Spoiler:

Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers shows how Zverev has been strong on serve this year.
Imagine only having to win the first point of your service game, and you are basically a lock to hold.
That was Alexander Zverev in Rome last week. Zverev, 20, won the Internazionali BNL d’Italia - his first ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title, and third overall title this season.
An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of Zverev’s maiden Masters uncovers complete dominance on serve on the clay courts at the Foro Italico.
Zverev had 68 service games in six matches in Rome. Almost 80 per cent of the time (54), he surged ahead 15/0. Of the 54 service games where he reached 15/0, he won 52 of them. That 96 per cent win rate was higher than his 2017 season average of 92 per cent. Just one point and the game is pretty much done and dusted.
Zverev’s 6’6” (198cm) frame is built for serving. He is tall, yet speedy around the court. He is lithe, yet has massive power at his disposal from his long levers.
Of the 14 times he fell behind 0/15, he won 80 per cent (11/14) of those service games. He only fell behind 0/30 five times, winning four of those games. If he got ahead 30/0, which he did 37 times, he won every single one of these service games.
Zverev’s second serve is an obvious area of improvement in his rise up the Emirates ATP Rankings.
Zverev second serve points won:
2015 = 47% (493/1041)
2016 = 50% (1088/2156)
2017 = 56% (550/979)
2017 Rome = 61% (73/120)


Zverev’s first serve is emerging as one of the best shots in the game. His 2017 season average for first serves made is 63 per cent. But when Zverev faced 14 break points in Rome, he made a first serve 71 per cent of the time. The ability to elevate under pressure is already a hallmark of his game.
In the deuce court, he made two of three first serves on break point, and made eight of 11 in the ad court. He won 60 per cent (6/10) of break points behind his first serve, and 75 per cent (3/4) behind his second serve.
What’s fascinating is that Zverev is actually putting up better return numbers than on his serve in the past 52 weeks. He is ranked 25th best on the ATP Stats Serve LEADERBOARD, powered by Infosys Nia Data, and 18th best returning.
Zverev is eighth best on tour converting break points in the past 52 weeks at 44.8 per cent. He was true to form in Rome, winning 45.2 per cent (19/42) of his break points. Overall in Rome, Zverev won 55.6 per cent (466/838) of total points - a significant jump over his 2017 season average of 52.1 per cent (2784/5339).
His Rome numbers send an ominous warning to the rest of the tour. If he can keep that up for a full season, that’s right where the World No. 1 ends up in total points won.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/zve ... 17-serving

[Joao]

[Del Fed]

Zverev, Cilic Advance To 's-Hertogenbosch SFs

Zverev, a 20-year-old #NextGenATP German, recorded a 56-minute victory over 35-year-old Julien Benneteau 6-0, 6-4. Zverev, who’d beaten another Frenchman Adrian Mannarino in a 54-minute second-round encounter, fired down 13 aces and lost just 10 of his service points against Benneteau, who won 11 points in the first set.

“You always have to stay focused, especially against a guy like Julien,” said Zverev. “You lose your serve once and it’s tough to get it back. I am happy to be through now. I grew up on clay courts, but the grass is so good these days that you can play your natural game and slide into strokes.”

Cilic captured the 2012 Aegon Championships crown (d. Nalbandian) and finished runner-up at The Queen’s Club the following year (l. to Murray), while Zverev reached last year’s Gerry Weber Open final (l. to F. Mayer).

Zverev next faces fourth seed Gilles Muller, who kept alive his chances of reaching the final for the second straight year when he recovered from a 1-3 deficit in the deciding set to beat eighth seed Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 in one hour and 43 minutes. The World No. 28, who finished runner-up to Nicolas Mahut in the 2016 title match.

“Gilles will be another very tough match, as he likes grass a lot,” said Zverev. “But the way I’m playing, I look forward to it and hopefully I can keep playing the way I have.”

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/cil ... 017-friday

[Del Fed]

Alexander Zverev: 'Roger Federer my idol, he always gives me suggestions'

Spoiler:

Alexander Zverev never kept secret his admiration for Roger Federer, who 'has always been my idol', the 20-year-old German player told Sky Sport. It's the Swiss' character and relationship with others what surprises Zverev the most: 'He is always fantastic and respectful with everyone.He always tries to help us, I listen to his suggestions. He helped me at the beginning of my career and I think it's like this for all the younger players. Did his come back surprise me? No it didn't, there weren't doubts that he could come back because he never left but just took a break.

Of course no one thought he could win the three most important titles of the year, but he is Roger. He is phenomenal and keeps writing tennis history.' Germany has many expectations on Zverev, who won his first Masters 1000 title in Rome last month.

About the hopes his country has on him, Zverev explained: 'Tennis in Germany never had a low level, we had Boris Becker, Michael Stich, Steffi Graf, and so that's why many people expected to have Grand Slam winners.

It's great to be supported by these champions, Stich (Hamburg tournament director) offered me some wild cards helping me a lot.' Speaking about the most beautiful matches in his career, the Hamburg native added: 'I enjoyed a lot the two matches I won against Federer in Halle and Hopman Cup.

The match against Wawrinka in St. Petersburg was fantastic as well as the one against Nadal at the Australian Open. Nadal reached the final so he was playing very well.' On his fighting spirit, Zverev stressed how 'you can't play sports without fighting.

To go out there and try to win is very important regardless of the opponent and score. I think it's a very difficult thing to understand for younger players, but for me it's not difficult because I always knew why I train and compete.' Next Generation players have a lot of pressure and are promoted a lot: 'I think the pressure comes from media that always try to find the next Djokovic or Federer, but you can't find these champions by the road.

They worked the whole life to be what they became, and we will try to do the same. There are many guys who are playing a great tennis: Kyrgios is playing well and is serious enough, Thiem improved a lot in the last three years.

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/news/news ... gestions-/

[Barty]

[Damian]

[Damian]

[grzes430]

Zverev To Face Federer In Halle Final

Spoiler:

German going for fifth career title
German Alexander Zverev will play in his fourth final of the season on Sunday after coming back to beat Frenchman Richard Gasquet 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle.
Zverev has already won three titles this season – beating Gasquet indoors in Montpellier; dismissing Guido Pella on clay in Munich; and knocking off then-World No. 2 Novak Djokovic in the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in Rome.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Federer Reaches 11th Halle Final
On Sunday, the #NextGenATP star will face top seed Roger Federer for the third time and in a rematch of their Halle semi-final last year. Zverev took that contest in three sets but their FedEx ATP Head2Head series is tied at 1-1 because Federer had beaten the German on clay earlier in 2016.
The 35-year-old Swiss will be going for his ninth Halle title; Zverev his first. For his career, Zverev will be seeking a fifth title, having also won the St. Petersburg Open crown last September for his maiden championship.
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Federer is as beloved in Halle as he is anywhere, but Zverev, who is from Hamburg, should have some home support in what will be a packed Gerry Weber Stadion. The crowd certainly helped him pull through on Saturday.
Gasquet started out quicker, converting both of his break points in the first set to grab a one-set lead after 36 minutes. In the second set, Zverev was growing ever more frustrated with Gasquet's level but the German turned it around, solidifying his serve and breaking Gasquet in the fifth game.
In the third set, Gasquet was challenging Zverev again, though. The Frenchman was two points from a break and a 4-2 lead, but Zverev, serving at 2-3, 30/30, struck a forehand pass while stretched and on the run. He seized momentum on that point and clinched the hold with a booming service winner the next point. Zverev would win the next four games as well.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/news/gas ... 7-saturday

[Barty]

Finał w Halle.





Podobnie jak rok wcześniej na finale zakończył występy w rodzimym Halle 20-letni Niemiec, w którym to przegrał z Rogerem Federerem. Był to pierwszy przegrany finał młodego Saszy w tym roku (4-3 ogółem).

Alexander Zverev - przegrane finały (2):
2017 (1) Halle
2016 (2) Halle, Nicea