Zverev in Steffi Graf's footsteps?
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The full Olympic program
The Olympic medal table
Alexander Zverev will take over when the star of Federer, Nadal, Djokovic and others will turn pale. His record is already looking good with a Grand Slam final (US Open 2020), 4 Masters 1000 on the clock, 1 Masters (2018) and 15 titles on the circuit (including 2 this year in Madrid and Acapulco), the German, current 5th player in the world, will try to do as well as his compatriot Steffi Graf, crowned in 1988 in Seoul, year in which the German had achieved the Golden Slam, that is to say, to win the same year the four tournaments of the Grand Slam and the Olympics. In men, Tommy Haas took the silver in 2000. In Tokyo, the 24-year-old can therefore do better. A certainty, he enjoys: "
The Games are special, for example we sleep in a room with six colleagues, but it's great because we enjoy it, it's part of the tournament and in the evening we all together welcome the medalists from our country, it is often moving
”
After his feat against Djokovic, can Zverev continue?
Impressive scorer of Novak Djokovic in the semifinals (1-6, 6-3, 6-1), Alexander Zverev is now the favorite to conquer gold.
He had nothing to lose in the previous round against the invincible Djokovic.
This Sunday, he dons the costume of favorite.
Another story.
The hardest part begins for him.
Khachanov for a first
If Sunday wins, Karen Khachanov could become the first Russian Olympic tennis champion since Yevgeny Kafelnikov crowned in Sydney 21 years ago.
But it would be an Olympic coronation like no other, the Russian competing under a neutral banner, his country being forced to play these Games in this way after the institutionalized doping scandal that hit Russia.
Khachanov is back in shape
Outsider of this final, Karen Khachanov does not leave as an expiatory victim.
Far from there.
Set back in the first part of the year, the 25th in the world, winner of the Rolex Paris Masters in 2018, is back in great shape this summer.
A recent quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, he has shown a lot of strength this week.
Just like his winning quarter-final against the French Ugo Humbert or his perfectly mastered semi-final against Carreno Busta: “
Where there were ups and downs, I thought a lot about my game, my forehand, to my backhand, but actually the main key is your mind, so I've been working on that a lot.
And now you know it's paying off.
"
The two men are tied 2 everywhere in their face-to-face
There were four duels on the circuit between the two men. For the moment it is perfect equality (2-2). Zverev won their first two head-to-head matches, notably in four sets in the round of 16 at Roland Garros in 2018. Since then, the Russian has gained the upper hand with two dry successes in two dry sets at Bercy in the quarter-finals in 2018 and in Madrid at this same stage the competition in 2019. These two players look alike. Very close physique 1.98 m and big physique (90 kg). Big servers, they also have a good footwork for players of this build. The Russian's secret weapon is the forehand. That of the German, the reverse.
