No sooner had the daytime session ended than ticket holders for the evening’s match rushed around the Philippe-Chatrier court. Under the blows of 8 p.m., Roland-Garros had its rush hour, Saturday June 3. Difficult to move in the central aisle, between some who try to return to their homes, their day over, and the others gathered in front of the various entrances to the field, impatient to go to their place and taste the fever of a Saturday evening Porte d’Auteuil.
Half an hour later, the traffic jam had passed and the 15,000 seats in the central office were almost all occupied. For the eighth time in their career, Frances Tiafoe (12ᵉ world) and Alexander Zverev (27ᵉ) found themselves on each side of the net. On paper, the meeting could seem unbalanced: the first was playing his first 3ᵉ round on the Parisian ocher, while the second – who had won six of their seven previous confrontations – reached the semi-finals of the last two editions.
But between the American showman, capable of igniting any stadium in the world, and the former world number 2, not yet back to his best level after his ankle injury contracted here last year, the poster promised, this time perhaps even more than the others, to be explosive.
Quickly, the public took part in the show between two sips of beer, without really choosing sides. Suddenly, he shouted for one, before doing the same for the other, while the “Let’s go Frances” answered the slightly more numerous “Go Sascha”. Deep down, wasn’t he just looking for the beautiful game and an epic match that will last as long as possible? After 3:41 of play, it was finally Alexander Zverev who won (3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1, 7-6 (5)).
“I’m probably playing my worst tennis since 2015”
For the sixth consecutive year, the German has qualified for the round of 16 of the Parisian Grand Slam, but this victory has a special flavor. “It has been the most difficult year of my life. I love tennis and being away from it was very hard. But I’m so happy to be back on this beautiful court. I hope to have a good second week here,” reacted the 26-year-old player after the game.
Everyone remembers the terrible images, a year ago, of his spinning ankle and his cries of pain that tore Chatrier apart. It was in the tie-break of the second set of his semi-final against the host, Rafael Nadal, while the fight had lasted for more than three hours. The German had left the court in a wheelchair, before returning to greet the public on crutches, escorted by his opponent. Twelve months later, the Majorcan is not in the table for the first time since 2005 and Zverev, who seemed then finally ready to win his first Grand Slam, fell back to 27th in the world.
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