Paris (AP) – Former world number two Tommy Haas is enthusiastic about Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz.
“There is no weakness in Alcaraz. He moves incredibly well for his size and is incredibly fast. And he simply has a high tennis IQ,” said Haas at the French Open in Paris. There will be a quarter-final cracker between Alcaraz and Olympic champion Alexander Zverev this Tuesday.
Despite his enthusiasm for the 19-year-old Spaniard, Haas, 2013 quarter-finalist at Stade Roland Garros, sees opportunities for Zverev. “It’s going to be a difficult task, of course. I hope that he goes in full from the start, that he believes that he can win,” said Haas. “Then everything is possible.”
Overall, the 44-year-old sees Zverev’s development positively this year. “On the whole I like him very much again. He’s been playing good tennis again since Monte Carlo and I’ve liked him here too so far,” said Haas. “It won’t be easier to win the first Grand Slam title. But he still has some time,” said Haas, referring to Zverev’s big goal of winning a title in one of the four major tournaments.