Zverev's cons are pretty big versus Federer:
1. Minimal attacking game and you just cringe when he's drawn into the net; it's that bad
2. Perpetual sour look on his face much of the time (which has little to do with his personality)
Pros:
1. Zverev is no Borg, but he's very well spoken and has an X factor that was filling the stands at the Citi Open better than any other player despite a game that makes Djokovic's look quite varied.
2. His first return game with its reach makes him hell on wheels for the dreaded and even more boring servebots. Zed is a one man wrecking crew for servebots in the draw. They want to go fairly big on 2nd serve well it works for that too.
For that alone he gets 10 stars.
3. The first serve is slowly getting better, so right now it is the combination of percentage and power. For the first time against Anderson he seemed to hit another gear on serve and it is frightening how good he'll be in another year.
4. The 2nd serve game is off the charts. Often will serve over 125 mph on a 2nd serve.
Probably will be setting records for points won on 2nd serves because of this and his first strike from both sides.
5. Simply the best backhand in the game when you consider the shots he can hit at full stretch and boy does the Zed stretch on the backhand
6. Great on all surfaces
7. The "weakness", the forehand, is turning into a strength. Definitely can run and gun with the shot and has become an excellent compliment to the mighty backhand leaving no escape for opponents.
8. The overall package worked on by Zed and his team is daunting. So much depth and power on all shots. The best baseline dominator leaving those who try to match him a wreck (Djokovic and Nishikori). An almost invulnerable player if he's on his game as even Federer won't be able to expose the Zverev forecourt game easily under such a barrage.
Zverev is vulnerable to speedy players who can expose his movement with a lot of game (Nishikori speedy, but little variation to expose Zed's movement.) Smaller players, younger players have the best shot outside of the elite. Hoping to see him hit Kyrgios who has come alive a bit at Rogers Cup and of course Fedal. The tables may be turned this time by the overwhelming power and depth of Zverev.
Zverev is simply a new breed of player and that alone makes him special accross the board. The stats he is amassing and the way his game is doing it are unprecedented. I like watching Thiem's individual shots and herculean efforts, but the whole Zverev package with all its subtleties leaves one in awe.
