While Alexander Zverev is leaving the French Open with a bitter style in his mouth once more, the German believes he’s at a stage the place he can once more problem for an elusive grand slam title.
The twenty second seed bought his ‘ass kicked’ in a 6-3 6-4 6-0 drubbing by final 12 months’s runner-up Casper Ruud in Friday’s semi-final however has loads of hope for the longer term, a 12 months after leaving Roland Garros with a freak ankle damage in his semi with Rafael Nadal.
Zverev mentioned he had some bodily issues in opposition to Norwegian fourth seed Ruud however didn’t wish to make any excuses.
“I had one physical issue, which kind of against him you have to run a lot, you have to fight and I wasn’t really able to do that,” he instructed a press convention.
“I wasn’t really able to push off my serve much, as well. Everything went his way a little bit. I would have loved to play a final here, for sure.
“I noticed it as an enormous alternative to play a closing right here. But he was a lot, significantly better than me at the moment.”
Although he missed a chance to face Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final, Zverev was confident he had regained the level he had last year coming into the claycourt grand slam.
Asked if he could be a contender in the majors, the 26-year-old said: “I really feel like now I’m in a position to, perhaps not Wimbledon as a result of, nicely, it is performed on grass, in order that’s tougher for me. But typically talking, sure, that is the mindset I’ll have to any extent further.”
Reaching the semi-finals in Paris after playing “5 nice matches” gave Zverev the confidence he needed to aim at a major title, having reached the last four here three times in a row and the 2020 US Open final.
“I’m doing every part that I can for it. It’s very troublesome to talk about it after at the moment as a result of at the moment I bought my ass kicked. There isn’t any query about it. I used to be additionally not taking part in the best way I needed to play,” he mentioned.
“But that’s undoubtedly my objective. I’m pleased that I’m again to the place I’m so quickly after the damage. Normally it takes longer. I used to be within the semi-final of a grand slam. That’s very optimistic. I missed out on an opportunity, sure, however that is life. We transfer on.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
