Alexander Zverev has two days off before his semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz. For Boris Becker, that’s not ideal.
Two days off before the blockbuster semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz? According to Boris Becker, the longer break could pose an additional mental challenge for Alexander Zverev at the Australian Open. “Now it could be a disadvantage because he will naturally start to think about it. His big dream is, of course, to win a Grand Slam tournament,” Becker said on Eurosport.
Zverev advanced to the semifinals in Melbourne for the fourth time on Tuesday with a convincing four-set victory over American Learner Tien. Due to the women’s semifinals on Thursday, the German number one and world number one Alcaraz will have to wait a day longer than usual at a major tournament for their next match. “But you can’t block out the thoughts: What happens if I have to play Alcaraz on Friday,” said two-time tournament winner Becker: “What will my head do, that’s the question for me.”
Zverev goes into the duel with the exceptional Spanish player as a slight underdog, even though the score is 6:6. “We’re in the semifinals of a Grand Slam,” said Zverev: “There won’t be any easy matches.”