Boris Becker thinks Alexander Zverev can undoubtedly beat Novak Djokovic however for that to occur the German tennis star should “take the initiative” and never enable the Serb to run him across the court docket and be the one controlling the tempo.
On Friday, the 27-year-old might be aiming to succeed in his maiden Australian Open closing and his third Grand Slam closing.
Nonetheless, it’s simpler stated than achieved contemplating that he’s set to battle towards the file 10-time Australian Open champion, who can also be coming off an enormous victory over Carlos Alcaraz.
Heading into the match, Djokovic leads the head-to-head 9-6 and he gained their lone assembly at Melbourne Park in 4 units in 2021.
Total, the Serb has a 3-0 file towards Zverev of their Slam matches.
“Sascha is playing a bit more offensively this year, closer to the baseline. That starts with his serve, but also has to include the return,” Becker instructed Eurosport.
“It’s important for the match against Novak that he sets the pace and takes the initiative. Because if Novak lets you run, then you have no chance.”
Alexander Zverev© Australian Open/Instagram – Honest Use
Becker to Zverev: Keep on with your recreation and present your strengths
The German might have by no means crushed the Serb on the Slam stage however he has had wins on the most important stage – most notably, beat the present world No. 7 within the Tokyo Olympics semifinal and in addition gained their finals on the Rome Masters and ATP Finals in 2018.
“Sascha has to stick to his game and show his strengths – his serve, his baseline strokes and his fitness. He mustn’t let himself be put off his game, whatever his opponent does,” the German tennis legend added.
Additionally, Becker talked about that if the match goes 5 units, that may very well be Zverev’s benefit since he is called “a marathon man” whereas Djokovic “is no longer quite as strong as he was two or three years ago.”
It ought to be price mentioning that the 37-year-old Serb handled a left leg harm throughout his match towards Alcaraz in order that may also be one thing to comply with.
