Time to admit Sascha Zverev is the real thing

[BeatlesFan]

Yep, that's how I see it, Sascha has added another title to his collection and is consistently playing very good tennis.

The same thing could have been said about Brad Gilbert in the summer of 1989 when he beat Becker, Lendl and Mac in various USO tune ups. Then promptly lost early at the only tournament that historically resonates during that time of year: The U.S. Open.

Check back in when your boy wins a major.

 

[BeatlesFan]

He said that too

Keith wrote Satisfaction, not Mick.

 

[zverev2018]

The same thing could have been said about Brad Gilbert in the summer of 1989 when he beat Becker, Lendl and Mac in various USO tune ups. Then promptly lost early at the only tournament that historically resonates during that time of year: The U.S. Open.

Check back in when your boy wins a major.

Real tennis connoisseurs can predict a future all-time great champion even before he starts winning majors. They have knowledge and understand the game and if a player has what it takes. The fact that you have to wait instead of actually say “yes he will win many slams” or “no he will be like B. Gilbert” makes me question if you know much about the game.

 

[Sudacafan]

I need to see him win against top competition at the slams first

There’s plenty of time for that to happen.
Unfortunately.

 

[Sudacafan]

Keith wrote Satisfaction, not Mick.

We could just say that Keith looked normal when younger.

 

[Hardcourter]

Keith wrote Satisfaction, not Mick.

Who? Never heard from these guys, must be some doofus from stoneage judging by loooks of this guy LOOOL

 

[flor]

guy is incredible talented ,will just get better so will his slam performances

 

[hipolymer]

>real thing
>sucks@bo5

 

[Shaolin]

Let's face it, a lot of people on TTW hates Zverev because they're jealous

Pretty much.

Well, that and he is an insufferable twat.

 

[maximus]

Yep, that's how I see it, Sascha has added another title to his collection and is consistently playing very good tennis. I don't know that he'll win the USO but I'd be willing to wager he'll have a slam win under his belt by the end of 2019. He is only 21 so there's tons of time for improvement from his current level. I think he's "growing up" pretty nicely, too. One has to have a certain amount of ego to be a champion but his so-called arrogance seems to be mellowing. He gave a very nice ceremony speech in D.C. I didn't see every match he played in the Citi tournament but when I did watch his shot making seemed not only well performed but well calculated. His serving was awesome. He still isn't a terribly exciting player to watch (for me) but he is definitely getting there. What do you guys think? I say he deserves respect!

I agree. He's been consistent through out the years since he started. The grand slam offers a different kind of challenge and pressure both physically and mentally and with how he has developed year on year, I am sure he will breakthrough. All he needs is a good run.

 

[Deleted member 751575]

Why do Zverev fans so desperately want people to love him?

I'm not a fan. I think he has the game to consistently win at levels below slams. I don't know that he has the mental fortitude to win at the highest level, or that he will ever develop it. I don't care for his demeanor. He has that Ivan Drago feel to him... and I don't think that'll get better if he starts winning slams.

If Federer were like Zverev, I'd be an enormous Nadal fan. I prefer Rocky to Drago.

Why am I required to love the Ziraffe?

I haven't seen a particular desire or interest on the part of Zverev fans to want more people to love him. The ones I've interacted with just mind their own business and sometimes are even the strongest critics of his performances. At least this is my experience everywhere else outside of this forum. In this forum, however, the Zverev hate is off the charts, every single little thing he does is criticized as much as possible by the majority of the users, so it makes sense the very few people that don't hate him say things in his defense. There are already enough people pointing out his negatives for those who don't hate him to start doing it as well.

@West Coast Ace said something pretty accurate about the situation:

Really? Seems to be a lot of legit lack of respect for AZ. Nitpick over every little thing he says/does.

Many will never give him his due; even if he beat one of the Big 3 76 in the 5th at the USO.

Their drink of choice:

Some people already made up their minds that they hate him, and they will criticize him no matter what. If even people who don't like Zverev can notice it, there's nothing wrong in pointing out how absurd are some of the claims against him.

 

[vandre]

what does "the real thing" mean to you?
if it means winning some masters titles and a few 500s then perhaps it is time; however, i need to seem him make a semi or two at a slam before i see him as anything more. he's made the second week of a slam twice in thirteen tries (1 qf and 1 rnd of 16).

 

[metsman]

wait so the #3 player in the world wins a 500 where the next highest guy he faced was #22 and dropping like a rock in the rankings, faces no one playing particularly well with any kind of big game, and we're making threads on it?

 

[Sudacafan]

wait so the #3 player in the world wins a 500 where the next highest guy he faced was #22 and dropping like a rock in the rankings, faces no one playing particularly well with any kind of big game, and we're making threads on it?

Yes, we are.

 

[metsman]

as for the improved volley, he did hit a volley that bounced 4 times on his side of the court and didn't even make it to the net, did he not? At least it hit his strings and not the frame. progress!

 

[Nadalgaenger]

Well he is young and his body will recover fast in the one week gap between USO and Cincy. Don't see the need to skip any event really.
One problem I suspect here is that he might be peaking too early in DC and as a consequence he might suffer a drop in form by Cincy.

That’s what happened last year. I think he won Washington and Montreal and got bounced early in Cincy.

 

[Nadalgaenger]

as for the improved volley, he did hit a volley that bounced 4 times on his side of the court and didn't even make it to the net, did he not? At least it hit his strings and not the frame. progress!

I wonder how many points you’d win against Zverev. Lol.

 

[metsman]

I wonder how many points you’d win against Zverev. Lol.

you are a really bad troll. lol.

 

[justasport]

I think he's got a good shot at making the quarters in new york…from there we'll find out if he's the real deal or just a pretender...if he was to face Federer, Nadal or Djokovic in the final of the us open it would be truly a watershed moment regardless of the outcome...it would be a true changing of the guard if he was to beat one of those three guys in a semi or final of the us open

 

[justasport]

my hope is that we get a fed vs nadal us open final this year...it would be more than likely the most important tennis match of their careers and in the history of men's tennis...some people would say why is it the most important...well, here is why

1- it would probably determine who is world #1 in 2018
2- it would be the first time they have played at the us open which is the only slam they have not played at yet
3- a lot of questions would be answered for those wondering how would that match have played out if nadal reached the final from 04-08
4- last and definitely not least would be that in my opinion the debate about who's going to go down as the goat in the men's game would be settled because should nadal win he will have beaten Federer at all four majors, and would now only be two slams behind him and nothing and nobody would stop him at that point from breaking the record...on the flip side if Federer wins he will answer lots of questions about what would have happened had they met in Federer's run of 5 consecutive titles...also, Federer would lead the goat race 21-17, and in my opinion seal the deal as far as the goat race goes...also, assuming they don't play in cincy roger would continue his domination over nadal from 2015 until 2018 with 6 consecutive wins, and all of those wins for Federer would be after he turned 34 years old...so those are my reasons for wanting this match to happen, and also my reasons for why I think it would be the biggest match in men's tennis history

 

[flanker2000fr]

The guy is ranked number 3 at 21, and already has good success in Masters 1000. With his physique, being 6ft6, it was always going to be a question of him maturing physically to withstand two weeks at the best of 5. I have no doubt that, given time, he will get there.

What really impressed me in Washington was his willingness to come to the net. He's not perfect there yet, but will only improve. The ability to come in and shorten the points will help him spare himself physically.

In my view, it's only a matter of time until he starts challenging consistently in the slams.

 

[Nadalgaenger]

you are a really bad troll. lol.

Who’s trolling? You’re the one weighing in on a Zverev thread—a player you clearly disdain with all of your being. All you do is trash anyone who is not an ATG (so basically anyone not named Federer, Nadal, or Djokovic). Lots of ire and ill-will. Why exactly?

 

[justasport]

he's definitely playing up on the baseline a hell of a lot more than he was this entire year up until now...I am willing to bet that the 3 or 4 days he spent with lendl has totally changed his mind set on court, and he's going to start playing much more aggressive...if he does that, than watch out

 

[Nadalgaenger]

Really? Seems to be a lot of legit lack of respect for AZ. Nitpick over every little thing he says/does.

Many will never give him his due; even if he beat one of the Big 3 76 in the 5th at the USO.

Their drink of choice:

This!

It’s remarkable how much ill-will simmers in the hearts of certain TTW posters. Basically an extreme scorn of anyone who is not an established ATG. I remember when people on here would mock Djokovic (before 2011). After that, it was Murray who was the target, but he shut most of them up. Most of them.

Zverev will silence the haters soon when he lifts a GS trophy. At that point, they’ll probably start picking on Shapovalov or Tsitsipas.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

Yep, that's how I see it, Sascha has added another title to his collection and is consistently playing very good tennis. I don't know that he'll win the USO but I'd be willing to wager he'll have a slam win under his belt by the end of 2019. He is only 21 so there's tons of time for improvement from his current level. I think he's "growing up" pretty nicely, too. One has to have a certain amount of ego to be a champion but his so-called arrogance seems to be mellowing. He gave a very nice ceremony speech in D.C. I didn't see every match he played in the Citi tournament but when I did watch his shot making seemed not only well performed but well calculated. His serving was awesome. He still isn't a terribly exciting player to watch (for me) but he is definitely getting there. What do you guys think? I say he deserves respect!

Unfortunately for the rest of the world.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

Still love that album.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

Still love that album.

Coke/Pepsi?
Israel/Palestine?
Lakers/Celtics?
Fed/Nadal?

Joshua Tree/Achtung Baby?

 

[Djokodal Fan]

I want to see him battle out against one of the big boys like Anderson, wawrinka, isner, Milos, cilic and see how he comes up with goods let alone facing fedalovic and a fit Murray.

Until he sees off these challenges on a consistent basis, I don't see him taking down an inform and consistent big 3 in next 1 year. Especially Djokovic rounding off to form is a bad news for him

 

[Deleted member 743561]

.

 

[Deleted member 742196]

haha, nice. That's like the rapid-fire "this or that" segments they do on ATP radio with some of the players. They're great!

Pep. Kamakawiwoʻole. Leps. GOAT. Tough call!

I see your point.

Little easier, how about staying on topic?

Ze Gold will:
Be even better than the real thing or keep us waiting until the end of the word?

He’s already One but not the same.

 

[Deleted member 743561]

I see your point.

Little easier, how about staying on topic?

Ze Gold will:
Be even better than the real thing or keep us waiting until the end of the word?

He’s already One but not the same.

He loves the higher law...

 

[Deleted member 742196]

He loves the higher law...

Asks you to enter but then makes you crawl?

Maybe he is the one after all.

 

[Devin]

Endurance is actually a weakness for Zverev even though he has a grinding baseline style with a decent serve. He can barely get by people in slams who he would normally straight set in Masters. That's been the story for so long. Doubt it will change soon.

 

[3lite]

The face of the Weak Era.

 

[Deleted member 751575]

I want to see him battle out against one of the big boys like Anderson, wawrinka, isner, Milos, cilic and see how he comes up with goods let alone facing fedalovic and a fit Murray.

Until he sees off these challenges on a consistent basis, I don't see him taking down an inform and consistent big 3 in next 1 year. Especially Djokovic rounding off to form is a bad news for him

 

[Im(moral) Winner]

We'll talk when he stops choking to RAFA.

 

[axlrose]

He's much better than Stan at that age so who knows?

 

[Mainad]

He's certainly proved himself in best of 3 events but yet to do the business in best of 5. Let's see how he fares at the US Open!

 

[Meles]

It is a tough situation for Zverev.

He wants the ranking points from Toronto but needs to keep himself fresh for the USO. Maybe skip Cincy if he goes deep there?

No. Better to just sweep everything and put TTW out of its misery.

The best and only hope for TTW is a resurgent Muzziah. Only Murray can stop Zverev. 1/16 chance he's in Zverev's quarter at Cincy and US Open. 1/2 chance at one or the other. 1/100 chance Murray's game is near enough to top level to maintain his head to head dominance.

 

[Meles]

People were doubting he's the real thing? Really? I would of thought him winning Masters events would alert people but i guess not? lol

Its called Zverev derangement syndrome, right @Surion ?

 

[flor]

way to shut him up lol

 

[Djokodal Fan]

Sorry, actually meant best of five. I'll hold out and see how he performs in upcoming usopen. Based on my limited observation, he is not as tantalizing as Nadal or Djokovic when they were 21. But who knows , he can be a late bloomer like fed and will blitzkrieg through the opposition .... Who knows?!

 

[ForumMember]

I like him. He is one of very few bright spots from younger generation. I am impressed with his work ethics. I think clay season of 2018 has been very important milestone in his journey to become a mature player. The way he fought and toiled for long hours during this clay season improved his character significantly. Look at the some of the matches he played this season. Gasquet one, Nadal one and few others. He did a lot of hard work there. No one in his generation I see with the same level of commitment. He'll go far.

 

[Terenigma]

This brought tears to my eyes. Tears of pure joy.

But seriously, the fact you had to do this to some ill-informed nobody on the forum is why i hate the internet sometimes. If you're going to have an opinion on something, especially a passionate one, At least KNOW what you are talking about. If you don't and just have an irrational hate towards a player then just accept and embrace that and don't make excuses (Especially false ones) to try and justify your hate.

 

[The Green Mile]

I wanted to know how Zverev played in his SF and Final before watching a replay, to see what some opinions on his game, but the match thread wasn't really that eye opening lol Best leave the Zverev match threads alone if you're looking for any sort of analysis/stats, nothing to learn there.

Zverev botched a volley, Zverev fluffed a forehand and why are players going cross-court to his backhand a lot? That's already 90% of his threads

 

[Gary Duane]

This brought tears to my eyes. Tears of pure joy.

But seriously, the fact you had to do this to some ill-informed nobody on the forum is why i hate the internet sometimes. If you're going to have an opinion on something, especially a passionate one, At least KNOW what you are talking about. If you don't and just have an irrational hate towards a player then just accept and embrace that and don't make excuses (Especially false ones) to try and justify your hate.

Agree, but you are expecting the Big Bad world to change, and it won't. Hate is easy. Always has been.

 

[robthai]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkk-o2bk3fU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpqazilFPo8

 

[Plamen1234]

I want to see him battle out against one of the big boys like Anderson, wawrinka, isner, Milos, cilic and see how he comes up with goods let alone facing fedalovic and a fit Murray.

Until he sees off these challenges on a consistent basis, I don't see him taking down an inform and consistent big 3 in next 1 year. Especially Djokovic rounding off to form is a bad news for him

Anderson,Wawrinka,Isner,Milos and Cilic combined have negative record against Zverev ( 3-16) so I dont think Zverev needs to prove anything against them.

 

[Deleted member 751575]

Sorry, actually meant best of five. I'll hold out and see how he performs in upcoming usopen. Based on my limited observation, he is not as tantalizing as Nadal or Djokovic when they were 21. But who knows , he can be a late bloomer like fed and will blitzkrieg through the opposition .... Who knows?!

Against those players, Zverev has only played one best of five match ('17 Wimbledon R16 vs Raonic), a match that he lost in 5 sets after being up 2 sets to 1. Still, a negative record is a negative record so I'll give you that.

Either way, and regardless of the H2H, I do believe the Zverev of today is capable of holding himself against players like Anderson, Wawrinka, Isner, Raonic, and Cilic, even in Bo5 matches. I have my reservations when players like Djokovic and Nadal enter the equation, I don't think Z is good enough yet to defeat players of such caliber not just physically but mentally. But that's why I didn't mention Rafa or Nole in my initial answer either. I was just making a case for Zverev vs the players you mentioned first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkk-o2bk3fU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpqazilFPo8

Djokodal Fan didn't mention any of those players in his/her post, so I don't know why you're bringing them up. And I'm a bit confused with the point you're trying to make with your video selection- you shared videos of Zverev's recent defeats in Bo5, which I kinda get as you trying to say he has been prone to early exits in Bo5 format. That's true, especially if you take away the context of some of those defeats. But then you also shared a win of his in the same format in straight sets, and then another one, a defeat, against Sock in Bo3. I'm confused with those.

 

[TimHenmanATG]

I am now fully on-board the high-speed Zverev express. I would be stunned if he didn't end his career with at least 33 Grand Slam titles.

I also consider him to be one of the most amazing and beautiful human beings to have ever existed. His lustrous, flowing locks make me want to cry.

I suspect he has the kind of intellect that would make Werner Heisenberg look like a pre-schooler, by comparison. I wouldn't be at all surprised if Sascha ends up with at least 8 Nobel prizes, strung across a variety of disciplines.

Alexander Zverev has also turned me into a believer in God Almighty. How could there not be the guiding hand of a divine creator, when such a perfect specimen of humanity exists?