ROLAND GARROS

May 29, 2022

Alexander Zverev

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/B. Zapata Miralles

7-6, 7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: How much did you know about Bernabe and how much did he impress you today?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I didn't know much, but he was very impressive. I think if he can play like this he's going to move up the rankings, as well.

Yeah, I think obviously there were some holes in my game, not even my game, just concentration-wise, but I think in general it was a good match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Your opponent Bernabe was relatively unknown to some people coming into today's match. In terms of your life and the way you are playing tennis right now, what are the knowns, what are the things that you are sure and certain of, and what are the unknowns? What are the doubts, the insecurities, and the question marks that you have?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I am sure that I'm going to play a quarterfinals in two days' time. That, I'm sure of. I'm not sure what I'm going to have for lunch tomorrow. I don't particularly know how to answer this question.

As a tennis player, you kind of go day by day, because you cannot plan in advance too much.

Q. You talked about holes in your game today. Could you elaborate on that a bit?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Not holes in my game. I think holes in my concentration. I think 4-1 in the first set, I had a little bit of a downfall. Then kind of let him into the match a little bit.

These things happen, and I'm happy that I'm through in three sets.

Q. Can you tell us what happened on your serve? Because you were broken a lot of times. He seems to bother you with his returns.

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: It's 12 degrees outside. It's very difficult to get the ball past 200 kilometers an hour, which I usually don't have problems with.

To give him credit, he was returning very well. I mean, he was returning pretty much every return one meter in front of the baseline, so it's difficult to do something from that.

Yeah, I think heat helps my serve, which there wasn't any of today.

Q. I was just wondering about the conditions, because Rafa was very skeptical of doing these evening sessions on clay because of the humidity and the slow conditions. What are your thoughts on the evening sessions here?

ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Well, I don't mind the evening sessions when it's 30 degrees during the day, you know. When it's 14 degrees like today, then in the night it's going to be what, 8, 9, something like that, it gets difficult.

But that's just for me, for my game, to be honest, because my serve is going to be even slower, my forehand is going to be even slower. It's not going to be an easy thing for me to play at 9:30 at night with no sunlight, with no heat, and 8 degrees.

But I'm pretty sure I'm going to play at night against Alcaraz, because that's just how it's gonna be. I'm getting ready for that.