Alexander Zverev reached the fourth round of the French Open for the eighth year in a row after beating Italy¡¯s Flavio Cobolli 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-1 on Saturday. The German looked calm and focused from the start, breaking in the very first game and setting the tone on Court Philippe Chatrier.
Zverev, still chasing his first Grand Slam title, admitted he shares a complicated history with this court. ¡°Some of the best and worst memories of my life happened here,¡± he said. ¡°It¡¯s a love story that hasn¡¯t had a happy ending yet.¡±
?After losing the opening set, Cobolli tried to push back. The second set turned into a close battle, with both players raising their level. At one point, Zverev even had to cool himself with an ice pack during a changeover as the sun came out and made things tougher.
¡°He probably should¡¯ve won the second set,¡± Zverev admitted. ¡°But getting through it gave me a bit of a mental edge.¡±
That slight advantage was all Zverev needed. The 28-year-old raced through the third set, breaking early and never looking back. He finished the match on his fourth match point with a strong serve and shared a kind moment with Cobolli at the net.
¡°You¡¯re going to win much more,¡± Zverev told the 22-year-old Italian, who smiled despite the defeat.?Zverev will now face Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor in the next round.