"Best match since the injury" - Alexander Zverev positive after Davis Cup win over Stan Wawrinka

Alexander Zverev came through with a win against Stan Wawrinka in straight sets in the ongoing Davis Cup qualifiers to notch his second competitive match win in eight months.

Zverev suffered a gruesome injury during last year's French Open semifinal against Rafael Nadal. During the second set, the 25-year-old rolled his ankle while chasing down a forehand. The severity of the injury was instantly made clear by the screams of agony let out by the German.

He was unable to walk and had to be taken off the court in a wheelchair. He eventually returned to court sans a wheelchair. However, he still had to walk out using crutches, which led to him withdrawing from the match and giving Rafael Nadal entry to the final.

Zverev later confirmed that the fall caused several tears in the lateral ligaments of his right foot. The injury kept him out of contention for six months until the German appeared at the 2023 Australian Open, his first Grand Slam tournament. He won his first-round encounter with Juan Pablo Varillas only to fall to Michael Mmoh in the second round.

In the Davis Cup qualifiers on Friday, Zverev beat Switzerland's Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, registering a 6-4, 6-1 win. The victory leveled Germany and Switzerland at 1-1, after Marc-Andre Huesler defeated Oscar Otte earlier in the day. The World No. 14 looked to be back to his best as he saw Wawrinka off in an hour and 36 minutes.

The 25-year-old was very happy with the win and expressed the importance of having leveled the scores between the two teams.

“I think it’s important to go into tomorrow’s ties with a 1-1 [scoreline],” said Zverev.

Alexander Zverev was elated with the level of tennis he was displaying as well, calling it his "best" performance since the unfortunate injury, and voiced his hopes for continued progression.

"Obviously I’m very happy with my game. I think that was the best match since my injury. It’s going in a positive way and I hope I can continue progressing,” Alexander Zverev said.

In talking about the match, the German pointed out how he played more aggressively and upped his level when Wawrinka started to lag, a strategy that helped him close out the contest sooner than most anticipated.

"I think I played a lot more aggressive and maybe Stan’s spirit went down a little bit, but in the end I picked up my level and I’m very happy with that," Zverev said.

Alexander Zverev will face Marc-Andrea Huesler next

Marc-Andrea Huesler defeated Germany's Oscar Otte 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 and will be up against Alexander Zverev in the reverse fixtures. With the German looking to be back to his blistering best, Huesler has a steep challenge ahead of him.

Germany will be hoping to take an all-important lead by defeating the Swiss doubles team ahead of the singles encounter. Zverev spoke confidently about the German doubles team and vocalized the importance of securing a 2-1 lead over the Swiss contingent.

"We have a very good doubles team," the German said. "It's going to be important for us to keep the spirits up and to get the lead."