French Open 2023: Zverev elated to make comeback at Roland Garros following horrific injury last season
By Ovaise Shariff | First Published Jun 2, 2023, 6:48 PM ISTAlexander Zverev made a brilliant return to Roland Garros on Tuesday with an impressive straight-sets win over Lloyd Harris in round 1 of the French Open.
A year ago, Alexander Zverev was forced to withdraw from a thrilling match against Rafael Nadal due to injury. In a dramatic turn of events, Zverev twisted his leg, resulting in torn ankle ligaments and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair.
The German returned to tennis earlier this year and has worked hard to regain full fitness, he was the 3rd seed last year but has dropped down to 22nd after struggling to regain his best form since returning to the ATP Tour.
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Zverev, who has won three of his five Masters titles on clay, failed to reach the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome this season. However, the German made a brilliant return to Roland Garros on Tuesday with an impressive straight-sets win over Lloyd Harris in round 1 of the French Open.
💬 "I was extremely excited to be playing on that court again and I wanted to do the best I could."
Zverev's press conference after his great performance on court Philippe-Chatrier ⤵️ | pic.twitter.com/JasjnBIF9m
Alexander Zverev was at his lethal best against Lloyd who was beaten comprehensively, he was moving brilliantly on the court and made very few unforced errors which will please him and his coaches.
“It’s nice to be back. I’ve marked this day in bold on my calendar since last year,” Zverev said.
“I was obviously very disappointed with how that tournament ended for me (last year).
“That’s why I think I appreciate even more when I play in a full stadium and the crowd is behind me.”
“No (not happy with his performance). But I’m happy that I won in three sets. Normally I start with five-set matches so I’m happy to win in three.”
“Get some more wins. Get six more wins in the next two weeks,” said the Zverev when asked what he wants to improve.
In his upcoming match, Zverev will face Slovakia's Alex Molcan, and a victory in this encounter will take him to the third round. The German tennis star will be aiming to achieve this feat for the sixth consecutive year in a row.
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