‘I’ll be ready’ – Zverev looks ahead to clash with ‘incredibly talented’ Jodar
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With high-profile upsets everywhere you look at Roland-Garros this year, the men’s singles is guaranteed to crown a first-time Grand Slam champion this weekend.And world No. 3 Alexander Zverev now appears the firm favourite to win his maiden major crown, currently holding a 0-3 record in Grand Slam finals, but without the dominant men’s top two of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to halt him.Agassi, who is among the small number of players to have completed the career Grand Slam during his illustrious playing days, feels Zverev’s backhand is among the best ever seen in the sport – and explained why he feels the German often fails to capitalise on it.
“Zverev is a heck of a talent, anyone who is 6ft 6in, and can move the way he does, is a threat on any surface,” Agassi has previously said.
“His backhand is arguably the best backhand we’ve ever seen in the game, but he’s a little bit too passive for me in the fact he is willing to give too much ground on his forehand side too often.
“If he can find out how to put down the forehand moving forward, he would take his game to a whole new level.”
Highlights: Zverev breezes past De Jong to set up quarter-final clash against Jodar
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On the wide-open men’s draw – which could see teenagers Joao Fonseca and Rafael Jodar mount challenges for the title – Agassi added: “There is an opportunity for multiple different people to win this year, and for the good of the sport, that’s a good thing.”
The key statistic on Zverev’s side is the relatively low number of hours he has had on court during his opening four rounds in Paris.
He has dropped just one set en route to defeating Benjamin Bonzi, Tomas Machac, Quentin Halys and Jesper de Jong.
A combined time of around 10 hours on court is far less than that of his quarter-final opponent, Jodar, who has played 14 sets of tennis in his last three matches, and came through a testing fourth-round match against compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday.
On the clash between Zverev and Jodar, TNT Sports expert Tim Henman said: ”It’s another brilliant match-up.
“There’s been so much unpredictability in this draw so far, and Zverev has been able to avoid any upsets.
“Jodar, obviously, coming back from two sets down against his fellow countryman Carreno Busta is another incredible performance, through to his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
‘Next one off the conveyor belt’ – Henman ‘jealous’ of Spanish tennis after Jodar emergence
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“Two very different players coming from different positions. Obviously, vast experience with Zverev, and a first time for Jodar.”
German tennis legend Boris Becker, meanwhile, feels Jodar will pose as a “real challenge” for Zverev.
“Now he faces the newcomer of the season, Rafael Jodar,” Becker said. “He plays like a house on fire, especially on clay. When Sascha heard who he was up against, he winced a bit. This is a real challenge, a real test for him.
“If you want to win seven matches at a Grand Slam, you can’t play every match perfectly – it’s all about winning the ones that really matter to you.”
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