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Alexander Zverev admitted Dominic Thiem's shock first-round exit at Roland Garros played on his mind during his opening encounter against Oscar Otte on Sunday.
Thiem, a two-time runner-up in Paris, let slip a two-set lead against Spanish journeyman Pablo Andujar and eventually crashed to a stunning 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 defeat.
Zverev, who took the court hours later, looked poised to follow Thiem, his projected quarterfinal opponent, out of the tournament after losing the first two sets to Otte. But the German raised his level to turn around the contest and seal a five-set victory.
Speaking to the media after the match, Zverev said Thiem's result may have contributed to his slow start against Otte.
“To be very honest, I think it did have a little impact on me at the beginning of the match, because yes, you try to focus on yourself, you try to not pay too much attention," Alexander Zverev said.
"But you do know the draw, you know who is where. You know that Dominic Thiem is one of the best clay-court players, especially here, one of the toughest opponents you can have, and then he's out."
"You need matches, you still need to get into the tournament" - Alexander Zverev
Despite being impacted by Thiem's loss, Alexander Zverev was able to avoid the fate that befell his close friend. The German said he was satisfied to have found a way past Otte despite not playing his best tennis.
"You need the matches, you still need to get into the tournament. [Oscar] already had three matches, I think that's a big difference,” he said.
“All in all, I'm happy to be through,” Zverev said. “At the end of the day, that's all that matters for me right now.”
