Alexander Zverev and Taylor Fritz were able to get to know each other even a little bit better during training in the New York midday sun. Only around 15 meters apart, Germany's tennis star and his quarter-final opponent at the US Open hit a few loose balls on Monday and put the finishing touches to their eagerly awaited duel on Tuesday (approx. 20:00 CEST) - in which Zverev will be looking for revenge.
"I expect it to be another very, very tough match, a nice battle - hopefully with a different result to Wimbledon," said Zverev ahead of the clash with the world number twelve from the USA. Around two months ago, Fritz turned around a 0:2 set deficit against the ailing player from Hamburg on the hallowed turf of Wimbledon in the round of 16.
But the signs have changed. "Now I'm healthy, that's the big difference," emphasized Zverev, who senses his big chance in the hunt for his longed-for first Grand Slam title.
After the retirement of Olympic champion Novak Djokovic and Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz, the field of top favorites has thinned out considerably and he can only meet his main rivals Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev in the final. The time seems ripe. But Zverev doesn't want to look that far ahead just yet: "I've got Taylor Fritz next. That's the only thing I'm interested in."