Zverev under no illusion at task at hand after reaching third round at Olympic Games: "I know the matches and opponents get tougher"

Alexander Zverev moved into the third round at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games where Nikoloz Basilashvili awaits after he eased past Daniel Elahi Galan 6-2, 6-2.

Zverev after two fairly simple wins is under no illusion though at the task in hand that awaits as his medal chase hots up.

“I played well, and I felt quite good on court, but I know the matches and opponents get tougher from now,” Zverev said. “I’ve got to play the same way and maybe compete even better. Some of the guys won’t let me play as well. That’s what the top guys do – they always find a way to disturb your rhythm a little bit. But yeah, today I had a good rhythm.

“Maybe he was a bit nervous, came out and didn’t know what to expect too much. From the first point on I thought – and this is the most important for me – I need to focus on myself. I know that I have quite a big game, I know I can hit winners, I can overpower people, and when I’m doing that, things work out well for me.”

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Alexander Zverev through to Olympic Games Round Three with victory over Galan

On representing Germany

He also discussed his pride of representing Germany and the Olympic spirit not only around their team but others.

“It means a lot, to be honest,” he continued. “You’re not only playing for yourself, you’re playing for your whole country, for everybody that is watching in Germany, and the other athletes here.

“I’m having a lot of fun, because I meet athletes I see on TV all the time, and some of the guys even come up to me themselves to say they watched this match or that match, and I tell them it’s funny because I’ve been a fan of theirs for multiple years!

“We’re living in a room with six people, but it’s all part of it, and I think everybody’s enjoying it a lot. We are all welcoming our medallists into our house, so that would be quite a special feeling.”