Alexander Zverev will not win his first Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open. Because old master Novak Djokovic had the perfect remedy for the turn in 4: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2, 6: 4 despite the set deficit.
Zverev took a dream start and immediately scored at Djokovic’s serve to 1-0. As a result, both acted confidently, and there were no chances of another break for both of them. Then Zverev got a little out of rhythm with a discussion with the referee at 4: 2 and 15:15. Djokovic brought his service and then got his first break chance because the German tennis star no longer brought his first serve.
However, Zverev fought against the offensive Djokovic, fended off the breakball with a strong defensive and benefited from a mistake by the Serbs. Then he found his serve and brought the game to the finish. Then Zverev served confidently again and won the first set 6: 4. His pawn: his first surcharge often came (62 percent) and then he won 94 percent of the points.
Both players at eye level, but Djokovic “stops” Zverev
Overall, it was a tight and very competitive match, the rallies were often long, free dots were rather rare. However, Zverev fell into old patterns and positioned itself significantly further behind the baseline in the second set – and the punished Djokovic. The 38-year-old breaks his opponent to 3-1 for the first time and even got the audience behind with his emotionality.
The booth also showed how the game was balanced after 100 rings when it was 50:50 – and a little later it was also undecided after sentences. After a spectacular exchange of blows, Djokovic ended the second round with one of his many strong stop balls to 6: 3.
Novak Djokovic plays a stop.
Zverev loses the thread and Djokovic strikes
The record champion was the better player at the latest from this moment. Zverev grabbed his short balls with the backhand, and he always anticipated the German strokes. At the stand of 2: 2 cracked Djokovic, his opponent’s serve, who then completely lost the thread. Zverev now made a lot of mistakes, in keeping with a presseless backhand that went far into the 2: 6 and the set deficit.
The two had faced each other at the Australian Open, at that time Zverev also won the first set and then benefited from the task of Djokovics. This time, however, was physically stable, showed his comeback qualities and won the first game of the two on sand since 2019. Djokovic immediately took the surcharge to 1-0, this time it was a backhand into the net that sealed the new – and decisive – setback.
Djokovic in the final with a stop after the next
Zverev sniffed 2: 3 with a break ball on the comeback – but Djokovic countered world class. The old master won a change of marathon ball, in which he played two stops again, the last one was decisive and then led to a pass. After that, Djokovic did his serve and could no longer be stopped on the way to win the fourth set.
With a stop-of course-he got his first two match balls, missed them and earned the third with a volley stop, the fourth he secured the fourth in the same way. Zverev fought, was lucky that he met an overhead ball with the frame, but after 3:17 hours the game was over-and she ended with a Zverev error after a return stop by Djokovic on his fifth match ball.
Djokovic: “The reason why I am still playing”
The former permanent number 1 of the world celebrated its 101st win at the French Open and still has the chance to win in Paris for the fourth time and get his 25th Grand Slam title. “Matches like tonight are the reason why I’m still playing”said Djokovic afterwards.
On the way to the title, Djokovic now stands in the way of the hardest possible task, in the semi -finals he meets Jannik Sinner. The current number one in the world rankings is still without loss of sets in the entire course of the tournament.