Alexander Zverev has passed the first hurdle at the Australian Open in Melbourne. The German player, seeded at number three, won his opening match against the Canadian world number 41, Gabriel Diallo, with scores of 6:7 (1:7), 6:1, 6:4, and 6:2. In the Rod Laver Arena, Zverev needed a total of 2 hours and 43 minutes to secure his spot in the second round.
However, the start was shaky for last year's finalist. In temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius, Zverev seemed nervous in the first set and made many avoidable mistakes. Diallo used this consistently to his advantage and won the set in a tiebreak. Afterwards, the Hamburg native significantly improved, stabilized his game, and dominated the following sets. In the subsequent on-court interview with Andrea Petkovic, he admitted that he struggled at the beginning due to a lack of match practice but resolved to raise his level after the first set.
A curious moment happened on the sidelines when a male fan proposed marriage to Zverev during the interview. The professional tennis player reacted with humor and declined the offer, mentioning his partner Sophia Thomalla. In the next round, Zverev will meet either the Australian Alexei Popyrin or the Frenchman Alexandre M luller. Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz is also preparing for his tournament start, considered one of the top favorites for the title and having set new economic standards in tennis last year.
