[8] Alexander Zverev (GER) vs. [9] Kei Nishikori (JPN)
Zverev’s game has grown by leaps and bounds this season and that is in direct correlation with his physical and mental maturation. It is understandable if he occasionally has a few ups and downs because he is still a work in progress. As he said in his Tennis Channel post-match interview, “you have to remain humble and stay motivated” and he is very motivated.
Zverev has beaten the top guys so playing Nishikori did not create undue stress in the young German. He came out focused and never gave Nishikori any room to breathe. He simply out hit his opponent and even though Nishikori made several adjustments, he could not gain a foothold on Zverev’s serve.
He won 6-3, 6-4 and although it does not look that way from the score, it was a brilliant performance from the youngster. He served exceptionally well, off the ground he was crisp and he kept Nishikori on his heels the majority of the match. He kept his composure the entire match. He will play Kevin Anderson in the final and despite leading their head-to-head 2:0, Zverev knows that victory is not guaranteed and he will have to maintain his focus and execute his shots if he wants to claim his fifth career singles title.
Anderson has not won a title since 2015 and will be extremely motivated to capture his first title since then and given his road to the final he will be feeling very confident he can capture his fourth career singles title tomorrow; thus, I expect there will be a big-serving battle for the title. Of course, we are rooting heavily for our spotlight player.
SOURCE OF IMAGE: Bing search (Zimbio.com)
Going into Montreal and the US Open…Federer and Nadal may be considered the favorites…but this young man will definitely be a force to be reckoned with.
Yes, he is and he came close to defeating Rafael Nadal twice before and already has a victory over Roger Federer. They know he is a threat.