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- Alexander Zverev [2] def. Dusan Lajovic 2-6 7-5 4-6 6-1 6-2
- Faces Damir Dzumhur in the third round
PARIS, FRANCE – All eyes have been on Alexander Zverev but for different reasons, as he bids to get beyond the fourth round for the first time, and coming through a challenging five-setter paves the way at Roland Garros.
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Alexander Zverev [2] def. Dusan Lajovic 2-6 7-5 4-6 6-1 6-2
All but written off thanks to Rafael Nadal’s dominance on the clay, whatever focus was on Alexander Zverev was more focussed on whether he had the stamina to make it at the Sam level in best-of-five, and his nay-sayers were almost validated as the momentum swung in his second-round match against Dusan Lajovic.
Both had done well in the tournaments leading up to Roland Garros and Zverev was tested early by Lajovic’s form but having joked in Rome that he was not sure if his focus on increasing his fitness and stamina was showing – we had the answer.
He said, after his match: “For me, this is important because I’m still in the tournament. So I have a chance to still play here. Obviously Dusan, at the moment and during the clay court season, he’s playing unbelievable. I knew it was not going to be an easy match.
“I didn’t play my best the first three sets, I thought. Once I found my range and rhythm, I felt good out there.
“There [are] still a few things I need to work on. Actually, in the fourth and fifth set I really felt good out there even though I was a little bit tired and a little bit fatigued. My serve started working better. I started playing from the baseline much better.
“We do a lot of VersaClimb, a lot of running on the track, treadmill stuff. All that helps me to play those long matches.”
Zverev has yet to advance past the fourth round of a Slam, and much is made of the advice that he was given by Roger Federer.
“He said some encouraging things. He told me a story about how he never made it past quarters until he was, what, 23 years old or something like that. So I still have a little bit of time.
“Just hearing that, just knowing that it’s all okay, it’s not the end of the world. So, I mean, obviously that was a long time ago and I played great tennis since then. Maybe I have to give credit to him.”
Zverev will be scheduled for his third round match on Friday.
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