By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Alexander Zverev said he felt ready to challenge for a long-awaited Grand Slam title at the Australian Open after being spared a heavy workout in the semi-finals due to Novak Djokovic’s retirement.
Second seed Zverev advanced to his third Grand Slam final, and first at Melbourne Park, when 10-times champion Djokovic succumbed to a torn muscle in his upper left leg and pulled out after losing the first set 7-6(5) on Friday.
Zverev had expected a much longer battle with the Serbian great than the hour and 21 minutes spent on Rod Laver Arena, but the German felt it would not affect his rhythm going into Sunday’s final against either Jannik Sinner or Ben Shelton.
“I still think that I played a high-level set. I think we both did,” Zverev told reporters.
“So in that regard, I still played tennis, right? It’s not like it was a withdrawal from the get-go, and I would have had, what, four days off.
“That would have been maybe a bit too much because then you feel like you’re starting a new tournament.
“It’s nothing that, of course, I wished for, but it happened.
“I’m obviously happy that I have another shot at winning a Grand Slam.”
The wiry 27-year-old has been tipped for Grand Slam success since his teenage years but fell agonisingly short in the 2020 U.S. Open final when he squandered a two-set lead to lose to Dominic Thiem.
He had to wait another four years before his next chance in a major final but was again overhauled in five sets by the brilliant Carlos Alcaraz at the French Open.
Admitting that he had tired in the final sets at Roland Garros, Zverev reunited with trainer Jez Green in the off-season to build the fitness needed to compete with Alcaraz and the game’s top players.
He also revealed he had sought Djokovic’s advice in Shanghai last year after feeling crushed by his quarter-final exit at the U.S. Open where he lost to 12th seed and eventual runner-up Taylor Fritz.
“I was just asking him how it was for him when he was having difficult moments, you know, 2016, ’17 and all that, how he was coming back,” said Zverev.
“He was always very open to me. We had very long chats there, as well. We practised quite a lot together in Shanghai, funnily enough.”
Zverev admonished fans for booing Djokovic as he exited the court on Friday and thanked the Serb for throwing his support behind him for Sunday’s final.
“That means a lot to me, especially from Novak, who I admire and respect so much,” he said.
“As I said, I’m looking forward to Sunday. I do feel like I have done the work, and I do feel like I’m ready for it.”
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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