"I would have loved to play a few more matches" - Lack of time on court dealt with by Zverev who overcomes 'talented' opponent in Australian Open

Alexander Zverev got his Australian Open campaign up and running with a 6-7(1), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 triumph over a tricky opponent in the form of Gabriel Diallo.

The Canadian proved to be a nuisance in the first set, racing out to a 4-1 lead. The German managed to claw his way back into it before saving a set point from his opponent. He would then go down 5-0 in the tiebreak ahead of his fate being sealed.

Diallo would go on to win just seven more games in the rest of the match. The world number three, who is under a lot of pressure to defend the ranking points he got from reaching the final last year, wasted no time in getting back into the match. He was very comfortable throughout, especially on his serve, and took his first match point to put him into the second round.

Zverev was quick to give his opponent his flowers after the match in his press conference. "He’s a great player — very young, very talented, very powerful," he said.

He was not happy with his first set display but pleased to have gone up the gears to see off the 24-year-old. "In the beginning, I wasn’t playing well. I was giving him too many chances and was too defensive, which is kind of the normal stuff I sometimes do in the first round of a Grand Slam. I’m happy with the way I played in the second, third, and fourth sets because I thought that was quite a high level for me. Overall, I’m happy to get the win."

Zverev did not play loads of matches ahead of the major tournament. He led Germany into the United Cup as they looked to add another title to the one clinched in 2024, but they failed to get out of the group. Zverev won just one of his singles matches, losing to Pole Hubert Hurkacz. He would then pull out of the Kooyong Tennis Classic, where he was set to compete against Flavio Cobolli.

"I would have liked to play more matches at the United Cup, for sure, but we lost to Poland, who eventually won. So that was it for us," he acknowledged. While there was an obvious lack of time on court, the 28-year-old was still happy with his preparation for the competition.

"Preparation-wise, practice was actually quite good," he said. "I had good practice sessions — a lot of them — and a lot of time here in Melbourne. Of course, I would have loved to play a few more matches, but it is how it is. We won the tournament two years ago; this time we lost in the group stages. That’s just how it goes sometimes."

The former Australian Open finalist was not pleased about his opening draw, with him hoping for an easier test to help him get into the tournament. While on paper it looked like a banana skin, he was able to dodge any obstacles in his way to come out on top.

"Afterwards, it’s easy to say yes because I won," he admitted. "But for example, at Wimbledon last year, I lost to a similar player in the first round. So after you’ve won and you’re through the match, it’s obviously a positive because you’ve been tested. You know where you are and what your level is, especially in difficult moments."

It certainly was a test for the former world number two, who got through it with flying colours. "Before the match, when the draw comes out and you haven’t played yet — and I’m not sitting here as the winner — it’s not something nice or something you look forward to. In the end, of course, I was happy with how I took on the challenge, and especially with how I played the last three sets."