Advantage Carlos Alcaraz: Zverev’s Blood Blisters Threaten to Ruin Australian Open Tournament

Advantage Carlos Alcaraz.

Alexander Zverev didn’t even try to reinterpret the obvious disadvantage. His opponent “100 percent” has an advantage in the quarterfinals due to the shorter matches.

While the Hamburg player has spent 17 sets and 13:47 hours on the court so far in the tournament, Alcaraz only has a little more than twelve sets and 8:42 hours. Massive differences that cannot remain without consequences.

“Zverev is used to playing five sets,” explains Patrik Kühnen in an interview with Eurosport.de, but “the strain is significantly higher than at Alcaraz. If you count the hours that Sascha was on the court in Melbourne and with Compared to Carlos’s, the Spaniard has advantages.”

Becker warns: “You could ruin the whole tournament”

“With one wrong decision you can ruin the whole tournament,” Eurosport expert Boris Becker warns.

Zverev after the round of 16: “Unfortunately I have huge blood blisters”

The Zverev camp must now carefully consider how to deal with the blood blisters. “The question is whether you leave the old tape on, otherwise you’ll tear all the skin off your foot and won’t be able to walk at all,” says Becker.

It is important to consider whether to open the bubbles, explains Kühnen. The three-time Davis Cup champion emphasizes that the “skin must be preserved”. The mental component plays at least as much a role as the medical treatment. “The most important thing is that the player gets it out of his head so that he can concentrate fully,” says Kühnen from his own experience as a professional.

Zverev gets himself into trouble

However, through his achievements, Zverev himself ensured to a certain extent that the situation has now become so complicated.

Round of 16: Zverev with a five-set thriller against Norrie – highlights

The sixth in the world rankings did not understand how to convert his enormous potential into clear victories. With one exception: In the 3rd round against Alex Michelsen, Zverev significantly reduced his unfocused phases and promptly remained without losing a set.

One step forward, two steps back – a setback for Zverev

Seen in this way, after the game against Norrie you have to say that the Olympic champion took one step forward and two steps back. “The best players start to show their best tennis in the second week,” Zverev emphasized after the Michelsen game, including himself. “From now on the tournament really starts!”

Despondent at breakballs: Zverev has to improve that against Alcaraz

This spirit of optimism has now at least been dampened. After all: The whole thing is not new for Zverev, he can assess the situation well. It wasn’t as bad as it was at the US Open in September 2023. “I was completely dead and felt physically exhausted,” reports Germany’s number one in Melbourne.

Zverev: “I’m not dead and not completely exhausted”

He is currently “tired” because in the last three matches it has been 7:6 in the fifth set twice. “But I’m not dead, not completely exhausted. I’m not in the same condition as I was at the US Open.”

If you take all the relevant factors into account, it remains the same: Advantage Alcaraz.

Round of 16: Alcaraz shines against Kecmanovic – highlights

• All Australian Open games live and on demand including the junior competitions and wheelchair competitions
• All matches in the Rod Laver Arena with German commentary and without interruption
• Exclusive multi-court feed with top international stars with German commentary and without interruption
• The complete Eurosport reporting with Boris Becker, Barbara Rittner and other top experts
• Timeline Marker: Quick access to the most important moments and rallies through markers in the streams of the big matches

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2024-01-22 17:52:17
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