Alexander Zverev will be actively involved in the singles competition of the 32nd TERRA WORTMANN OPEN in Halle on Wednesday. The German top player (ATP 3) is clearly the favourite in his first round match against Marcos Giron (USA/ATP 43).
On Tuesday, Zverev appeared to have recovered well from his defeat in the final in Stuttgart - there was no sign of disappointment at his 3:6, 6:7 loss to Taylor Fritz. ‘The fact that I played the final in Stuttgart at all was not a miracle for me, but a very, very good result,’ said the 28-year-old in front of the journalists in the OWL ARENA. Zverev emphasised that he had mainly used the past week to work on his physical condition: "I trained an incredible amount and did a lot of physical work. Things that aren't really normal for a tournament week."
For Zverev, the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN is first and foremost about ‘staying injury-free and healthy’, but he doesn't want to lose sight of the world rankings either. ‘Everyone is always incredibly surprised when I win a tennis match,’ said Zverev, initially with a wink at his critics - only to become more serious: "I'm still number three in the world, even though I've played such a bad year, as everyone sees it. Sure, the other two (editor's note: Sinner and Alcaraz) are ahead of me. But I come after them. Now I have to see if I can catch up with them a bit."
The top German player is hoping for a tailwind from his entourage, who will be accompanying him - as well as the perfect conditions and feel-good atmosphere in Halle. ‘I like the tournament here,’ he assured, because "the distances aren't very long, it's very informal. I have a lot of people with me. I feel comfortable in this scenario and the relaxed environment. Now I just have to bring that to the court."
On Wednesday, Zverev is clearly the favourite against his opponent Marcos Giron (ATP 43), who is three years his senior. Zverev has an unblemished 3-0 record in three matches and won in three sets on grass at Wimbledon last year. The match is the second on Centre Court and does not start until 12.30 pm.
In addition to Alexander Zverev, Zizou Bergs (ATP 49) will also play his first round match on Wednesday. After reaching the final in s'Hertogenbosch, which he lost to Gabriel Diallo in two sets, the Belgian is one of the secret favourites at the TERRA WORTMANN OPEN. In Halle-Westphalia, however, Bergs faces a tough opening hurdle against Karen Khachanov (ATP 22).
