3:40 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 6:5
Now the error devil is back in Zverev’s game. It goes back and forth. The game here is by no means at a top level. With an ace, Tsitsipas takes the game to 6:5. Zverev has to serve again against losing the set.
3:36 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 5:5
Nothing is going well with Tsitsipas now. The Greek doesn’t even come close to getting the first two balls over the net. Zverev takes advantage of the moment and makes the game 5:5 with two good serves.
15:29
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 5:4
Tsitsipas has to make the debut, but then makes a lot of headway with his forehand. With Zverev, on the other hand, the forehand doesn’t come together as much and so the Greek gets his first set point. But then Tsitsipas’s little hand shakes. Two backhand balls land behind the baseline and the Greek also puts the breakball into the net with his backhand without any need. Zverev will wonder how he got this break, but you take what you can get. Only 4:5. But Zverev still has to serve against losing the set.
15:22
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 5:3
Zverev is becoming braver and is now appearing on the net more often. He courageously pursues a good serve and concludes the rally with a powerful backhand volley to make it 3:5. But now the break has to come, otherwise the first set is lost.
3:19 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 5:2
But Zverev cannot be satisfied with the return game at all. Three quick unforced errors help Tsitsipas get his service through without any problems. An ace ultimately makes it 5:2.
3:16 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 4:2
This time Zverev managed to win the game without any problems. The serve in particular is much harder and more placed in this phase. With an ace the German reduced the score to 2:4.
15:13
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 4:1
So there is no visible impairment in the Greeks. He confidently brings home his serve game by sending Zverev from left to right with his forehand. In the end, an emergency shot from Zverev lands far behind the baseline.
15:11
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 3:1
Apparently Tsitsipas did not seek treatment after all, but only sought advice from the physio. It continues at 30:15 for the Greek.
3:09 p.m
Medical timeout Tsitsipas
Apparently the knee is the problem for the Greek, who is now being treated by the physio. Meanwhile, Zverev is consulting with his box.
3:07 p.m
Medical timeout Tsitsipas
Bitter for Stefanos Tsitsipas. The Greek seems to have somehow represented himself during a rally and is now limping to the referee to call a medical timeout. However, there was no sign of the Greeks twisting their ankles.
3:04 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 3:1
Zverev has to stretch a lot, but manages to win his first game via deuce. In the end, a dry backhand volley wins the game.
3:00 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 3:0
Zverev is not in this game. He actually dictates the rally, but fails to convert two overhead balls. In the end he becomes too impatient and puts a forehand way out of touch. This mistake gives Tsitsipas another break point. But the German is lucky that the Greek overdoes it a bit with the stop balls. This time the ball ends up in touch.
14:57
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 3:0
Tsitsipas repeatedly lures Zverev forward with stop balls. Zverev is on it, but then shovels the ball over the net without pressure and out of place. He can only watch the Greek’s backhand pass. 0:30 again.
2:55 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 3:0
But the Greek also has to fend off two break points, but he does so in a relaxed manner with the help of his serve. On the second breakball he even plays serve & volley and puts a backhand volley into the field as soft as butter. Two service winners later it is 3-0 for Tsitsipas.
14:52
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 2:0
Tsitsipas seems to be speculating that Zverev is a bit tired after the tough matches. He repeatedly throws in short balls to let the German run and is successful. Zverev can often only bring the balls back uncontrollably, so the next ball is a safe point for the Greek.
2:50 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 2:0
And that’s when it happened. With breakball Tsitsipas, a backhand from Zverev ends up well behind the line. The Greek doesn’t have to do much at the moment to get his points.
2:45 p.m
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 1:0
Zverev, on the other hand, has a lot more trouble with his service game. Similar to the two previous matches, the German made one or two unforced errors in the early stages. After 0:30 he was able to free himself from this tricky situation with good first serves. But after another slight mistake he has to go over.
14:41
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 1:0
The Greek has no trouble with his first serve game. He dictates the action with his serve. Two aces help him take a 1-0 lead.
14:41
Tsitsipas – Zverev: 0-0
Get into the game. Tsitsipas won the election and chose to serve.
2:36 p.m
Walk on Court
Both players entered the well-filled center court. After a short impact phase it starts.
14:28
Head to head
However, the direct comparison results give hope for the Greek. He won eight of twelve duels, Zverev only four. In the first six duels in particular, Tsitsipas was Zverev’s feared opponent (1:5), and since then the German’s victory and defeat have alternated. According to this logic, it would be Sascha Zverev’s turn to win again today.
14:23
Form speaks for Zverev
Most recently, before the quarter-finals in Vienna, Zverev was disappointed twice in his opening match at the Asian Swing, but before that he won the tournament in Chengdu and showed decent performances in Beijing. Although he wasn’t consistent enough in the fall, overall his form is still stronger than that of Tsitsipas, who has often been weak recently.
2:19 p.m
Tired vs. fresh?
Tsitsipas was therefore only active on the Paris Court Central for 1:48 hours. Because Zverev’s first two matches in Paris were very competitive, the current world number nine had already been on the hard court for more than six hours. So Zverev won’t be as fresh as Tsitsipas, a deciding factor?
2:17 p.m
Tsitsipas confidently against FAA
As number six on the list, Tsitsipas only intervened in the tournament in round two. In this one he had to deal with a complicated opponent in Félix Auger-Aliassime. The young Canadian had a largely weak season on the tour this year and slipped in the world rankings to 19th place in the early summer due to slight knee problems – his weakest world ranking in two years. But he returned with a tournament victory in Basel. He still had no chance against Tsitsipas in two straight sets.
14:11
Hard victories
In terms of sport, the German number one had to fight hard in the first two laps – despite the initially doable tasks. Against Márton Fucsovics he fell behind in a set after a tired start, fought his way back into the match with good morale and won a hard-fought third set. In the duel with Ugo Humbert, the Hamburg player was in the game right from the start, but the last remaining Frenchman fought for every centimeter of space in Paris. After losing the tiebreak in the second set, Zverev successfully managed the match-deciding tiebreak.
2:06 p.m
Penalty order imposed
While Zverev is fighting for the last Masters title of the year in Paris-Bercy, the Berlin district court has imposed a fine of 450,000 euros on the athlete for bodily harm. Zverev is said to have physically abused his ex-girlfriend; these are not the first allegations of violence against him. The 26-year-old rejected this and appealed the fine. The presumption of innocence applies until a final conviction is made.
2:00 p.m
Welcome
Good day and welcome to the round of 16 of the Paris Masters! Alexander Zverev has the first really tough task to overcome, Stefanos Tsitsipas is his opponent on Court Central at around 2:30 p.m.