Alexander Zverev, the esteemed German tennis player, finds himself ready to face a formidable opponent in the form of Australia’s Jordan Thompson at the Miami Open. The clash comes as a reward for Zverev’s recent triumph over Britain’s number 3 player, Jacob Fearnley, in a game that ended in a smooth 6-2, 6-4 victory for the German.
This face-off is particularly intriguing as Zverev, despite having consistently outperformed Thompson in global rankings throughout their careers, has a losing record against the Australian. Their past seven matches have seen Thompson emerge victorious five times, compared to Zverev’s two wins. This record has frequently instigated Zverev’s frustration, often culminating in his performance being affected.
One of the most notable matches between the two was in the opening round of the Japan Open in 2023. At the time, Zverev was the world’s 9th best player and was considered a dark horse for the championship title. Thompson, on the other hand, entered the match as the underdog, ranking 60th globally. However, he delivered a stunning upset, besting Zverev 6-3, 6-4. Zverev, instead of acknowledging Thompson’s superior performance, chose to criticize his own game in a post-match interview, stating, “Today I played horrible. He played quite good, he served quite good, but it’s just a very, very bad match for me. I don’t know what to say.”
Meanwhile, Thompson, elated with his victory, expressed, “I fought off 0-40 first game and I really got into the match after that. But I held on, I was playing an unpredictable style of tennis, and I think he didn’t handle it that well in the first set and adapted in the second. But I somehow hung around.”
Despite his overall record against Thompson, Zverev has had his fair share of triumphs, such as their encounter at the Canadian Open in August last year. The German star showcased his best form, quickly gaining the upper hand by taking the first set 6-1. The Australian’s struggles only escalated as Zverev dominated from the baseline, securing a 5-1 lead in the second set.
A noteworthy moment occurred when Thompson’s cap fell off while he was serving to stay in the match. Unaware, Zverev played on, hitting a forehand past the stationary Australian. Thompson’s plea for a replay was denied by the umpire, who ruled that the point could only be replayed if the hat hindered Zverev. As the umpire announced ‘game, set and match,’ Thompson expressed his frustration before eventually conceding defeat.
As the Miami Open approaches, all eyes are on this duo, with fans eager to see if Zverev can turn the tide in his favor or if Thompson will continue his winning streak against the German star.