Spoiler:
Alexander Zverev backed up his statement win against Rafael Nadal with a dominant display against David Goffin to reach the third round at Roland Garros on Thursday.
The fourth-seeded German, who downed 14-time champ Nadal in straight sets in the first round, played front-foot tennis in his clash with Goffin. He overpowered the Belgian, hitting 37 winners under the roof on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to advance after two hours and 22 minutes.
Zverev was pleased with how he reset after his emotional win against Nadal on Monday.
"Since the draw came out, the only thing the tennis world was talking about was that match [against Nadal]," Zverev said when asked about his emotions over the past week. "He won the tournament 14 times, so he deserves all the credit and respect and all the acknowledgments he gets. So after I beat him I felt that I had already won the tournament, but in the end it is only a first round.
"You have to focus for another two weeks entirely and I am happy I had another two days off as I had to compose myself emotionally. I had to ground myself and get back to work and playing good tennis. I am extremely happy with the level today."
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Zverev suffered a catastrophic ankle injury at the clay-court major in 2022, turning his ankle during his semi-final clash with Nadal at the end of the second set. After returning to Tour last year, the 27-year-old looks back to his best, having won his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Rome earlier this month.
The No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is chasing his first major title and will next play Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or Italian Luciano Darderi. Zverev is 30-9 on the season, earning 12 of those wins on clay.
After winning a tight first set, Zverev moved through the gears in the second and third sets to take full control against former World No. 7 Goffin. The German committed just five unforced errors in the second set and did not face a break point in the third set, according to Infosys Stats, to improve to 4-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
"When it is heavy, when it is slow, it is not ideal for me. I am someone who likes to be extremely aggressive, so when it is like that, it is not ideal," Zverev said. "I felt the ball well today. Maybe a few mistakes but I knew David is an incredible player and someone who was difficult for me in the past. It showed in the first set, but I am happy I ran away with it."
Goffin defeated Lyon champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in five sets in the first round but could not match Zverev’s intensity and power. The 33-year-old was making his 13th appearance in Paris, where he reached the quarter-finals in 2016.
The fourth-seeded German, who downed 14-time champ Nadal in straight sets in the first round, played front-foot tennis in his clash with Goffin. He overpowered the Belgian, hitting 37 winners under the roof on Court Suzanne-Lenglen to advance after two hours and 22 minutes.
Zverev was pleased with how he reset after his emotional win against Nadal on Monday.
"Since the draw came out, the only thing the tennis world was talking about was that match [against Nadal]," Zverev said when asked about his emotions over the past week. "He won the tournament 14 times, so he deserves all the credit and respect and all the acknowledgments he gets. So after I beat him I felt that I had already won the tournament, but in the end it is only a first round.
"You have to focus for another two weeks entirely and I am happy I had another two days off as I had to compose myself emotionally. I had to ground myself and get back to work and playing good tennis. I am extremely happy with the level today."
The Official App Of Tennis | Download ATP WTA Live App
Zverev suffered a catastrophic ankle injury at the clay-court major in 2022, turning his ankle during his semi-final clash with Nadal at the end of the second set. After returning to Tour last year, the 27-year-old looks back to his best, having won his sixth ATP Masters 1000 crown in Rome earlier this month.
The No. 4 player in the PIF ATP Rankings is chasing his first major title and will next play Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor or Italian Luciano Darderi. Zverev is 30-9 on the season, earning 12 of those wins on clay.
After winning a tight first set, Zverev moved through the gears in the second and third sets to take full control against former World No. 7 Goffin. The German committed just five unforced errors in the second set and did not face a break point in the third set, according to Infosys Stats, to improve to 4-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
"When it is heavy, when it is slow, it is not ideal for me. I am someone who likes to be extremely aggressive, so when it is like that, it is not ideal," Zverev said. "I felt the ball well today. Maybe a few mistakes but I knew David is an incredible player and someone who was difficult for me in the past. It showed in the first set, but I am happy I ran away with it."
Goffin defeated Lyon champion Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in five sets in the first round but could not match Zverev’s intensity and power. The 33-year-old was making his 13th appearance in Paris, where he reached the quarter-finals in 2016.
