Gerry Weber Open, Halle

[CR27] Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. [CR81] Alexander Zverev (GER)

I have been following Zverev since July of 2014. Despite all the attention being given to a few other young players, there was something about Zverev that caught my immediate attention.  I was intrigued by his feisty personality and captivated by his raw talent.  I sensed the burning desire within him to succeed and his frustration was equally palpable during the matches, when he made errors.  Although he eventually lost to David Ferrer (ESP),  I decided that this teenager has potential and was curious to see how far he would go; thus, he became our spotlight player.

It has been a tad rocky for him; however, with each tournament he is maturing.  He in now ranked in the top one hundred and that will only improve the more tournaments he plays. [CR93] Jarkko Nieminen (FIN), his first round opponent, was potentially a very tricky opponent; yet, Zverev calmly dispatched him in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.  Today’s potential threat, who also has a big serve, is [CR27] Ivo Karlovic (CRO). He has faced big serves before, he defeated  Sam Groth (AUS) earlier this year; however, he will need to maintain his composure in the face of Karlovic’s attacking style of play. Will Zverev continue to defy the odds and win this first encounter?