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Fourth seed Alexander Zverev is happy with his form after beating Daniel Elahi Galan of Colombia to reach the third round at the Tokyo Olympics 2021. But the German knows that sterner tests lie ahead as he wades deeper through the draw.
Zverev, making his maiden appearance at the quadrennial competition, has impressed in his first two matches. The 24-year-old has conceded only eight games thus far while putting on a serving clinic; he has sent down 21 aces and is yet to commit a double fault.
However, Zverev doesn't want to get too ahead of himself. During his post-match press conference on Monday, he acknowledged that the level of competition is only going to get tougher - starting with his third-round match against Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili.
"I played well, and I felt quite good on court, but I know the matches and opponents get tougher from now," Zverev said.
The German also claimed he doesn't want to make too many changes to the tactics that have served him well thus far. But Zverev, who is a strong contender for the gold medal, knows he'll have to raise his game against higher-ranked opponents.
"I've got to play the same way and maybe compete even better," the 24-year-old said. "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."
Talking about his performance in the second round against Daniel Elahi Galan, Alexander Zverev expressed satisfaction with his game. He particularly highlighted his ability to hit winners, which should come in handy against tougher opponents too.
"From the first point on I thought – and this is the most important for me – I need to focus on myself," Zverev said. "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."
"It would mean a lot to reach the podium" - Alexander Zverev
Alexander Zverev, one of several tennis players making their debut at the Olympics this year, has made a good start to his quest of winning a medal for his country. The German, who needs two more wins to reach the medal round, claimed that it would "mean a lot" for him to win a medal for his country.
"It means a lot, to be honest," Zverev said. "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."
Zverev also spoke about his unique experience at the Olympics, where he has been able to interact with athletes from other sports - people he usually sees only on television.
"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," Zverev said.
