Zverev: "I need to play well to make a difference"

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It hasn't been easy months for Alexander Zverev since he reached the final of the Australian Open, but it was only a matter of time before his tennis regained its form. Who knows if the Miami Open will be the place where they see him shine again; for now, he is in the round of 16, where he will face Arthur Fils early this morning. To better understand the German's current position, Tennis Channel spoke with him to discuss his performance slump, his feelings this week, and the adjustments that the professional tennis player must make in each tournament.

Playing in the first match

“The truth is that the heat hasn't affected me too much, the center court is amazing, so I shouldn't come here and make any comments about the sun, there's no complaint about this aspect. Inside the court, I haven't felt that intense heat, where there was a lot of temperature was in the match, at the beginning, which was a disaster for me. Jordan had a tremendously good start, playing super fast, luckily I found a way to catch up and beat him this time.”

Improving against Thompson

“It's been a process, little by little, the truth is that I started the match with very bad feelings, serving really poorly. Losing your serve always diminishes your confidence, and that's what happened to me at the beginning. I knew perfectly what kind of player Jordan is, so he deserves all the credit, he's a guy who plays very fast, capable of maintaining a high rhythm in exchanges, so I had to adjust different things during the first set. He's a fantastic tennis player, that's why he made it so hard for me.”

Seeking his best sensations

“I think the difference is not made with the titles, it's made when I play well. I need to play well to make a difference, I need my tennis to be there, my shots to work, my confidence to add up on and off the court. I know I have the quality of the ball, that I can do many things with it, but in these last two weeks, I haven't felt good, I haven't seen my strokes there. I've had to train a lot during this time, trying to bring back that competitive rhythm and a new mentality. Losing in the first round of Indian Wells allowed me to have two weeks of practice, so I took advantage to work hard.”

The importance of conditions

“Right now, everyone hits the ball well, but the key is in the feeling, each one's sensation when touching the ball with their racket. In my case, it's true, I may have that quality when hitting the ball, but under certain conditions, maybe I don't feel like I can place the ball within an inch of the line when I want, to adjust each serve, to accompany it with speed, to give it more spin, or hit it flatter. Those sensations come and go, they can disappear at any moment, but it can happen to any of us. Tennis is based on that, each one is exceptional, so we can't complain.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev: “Necesito jugar bien para marcar la diferencia”