Match Report

Zverev one set from defeating Alcaraz for Roland Garros title

German is chasing his maiden major trophy in Paris

June 09, 2024

Alexander Zverev is just one set away from his maiden Grand Slam trophy after coming from behind to lead Carlos Alcaraz 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the Roland Garros final.

The fourth-seeded German reeled off five consecutive games to seal both the second and third sets and move ahead at the clay-court major. Competing in his second major final, the 27-year-old Zverev is aiming to become just the third man born in the 1990s to win a Grand Slam title after Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev.

Alcaraz served at 5-3 to take a two-sets-to-one lead on Court Philippe-Chatrier. The 21-year-old would have moved to within one set of becoming the youngest player to capture a Grand Slam title on three different surfaces after his triumphs on hard courts at the 2022 US Open and grass at 2023 Wimbledon. Yet Zverev dug deep to defy the Spaniard, and himself move within a set of the biggest trophy of his career.

With over two and a half hours played, Alcaraz and Zverev’s ability to stay the course physically will be tested as the match wears on. The No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings Zverev spent 19 hours and 27 minutes on court en route to Sunday’s clash, the longest road to a Roland Garros final since the start of recorded match times in 1991. Yet the German has appeared the fresher of the two players so far, with Alcaraz drinking pickle juice during changeovers to ward off cramp.

Alcaraz earlier clinched the opening set by locking in on return after a cagey start in which both players dropped their opening service game. Zverev began his second major final by serving back-to-back double faults, prompting him to immediately change his racquet. He was nonetheless broken three times in the opening set, and also had to fend off two break points to hold in another of his service games at 2-4.

Despite falling behind, Zverev kept his focus, and an improved serving performance from the fourth seed helped him halt Alcaraz’s charge on return. The German landed 83 per cent (20/24) of his first serves in the second set and won 80 per cent (16/20) of those points, according to Infosys Stats.

Although he let slip three break points in the first game of the second set, Zverev made no mistake in the fifth or seventh games to haul himself back into the match. Alcaraz then appeared to have reasserted control after forging his 5-2 lead in the third set, but Zverev again found a hot streak to charge into the lead.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, the German football star Toni Kroos posted a message of support as his countryman moved within one set of victory.

Both Alcaraz and Zverev are competing in their maiden championship match at Roland Garros. Whoever prevails, there will be a first-time champion on the Paris clay for the first time since Novak Djokovic’s 2016 title run.

Source Tennis – ATP World Tour