ATP Munich: Zverev, Rune and the dress language
While Alexander Zverev was struggling with the conditions at the ATP Tour 250 tournament in Munich yesterday, defending champion Holger Rune was tough.
by Jens Huiber
last edit:
Apr 20, 2023, 10:23 pm
By Jens Huiber from Munich
Of course, you can't blame Alexander Zverev for deciding to protect his game against Christopher O'Connell with a long undershirt and leggings in view of the sporting temperatures on Thursday in Munich. The comparison with Ivan Lendl does not apply. Because the legendary Czech once tried the good old training pants at the MTTC Iphitos to contest an encounter in rather difficult conditions. At that time, leggings were only worn by those who had followed Jane Fonda into the depths of the aerobic wave.
Anyone who saw Zverev's match live in the stadium saw themselves as equals with the German number one anyway: the majority of the fans were equipped in such a way that it would have been enough for a day's skiing in mediocre weather.
Only one man caused irritation: defending champion Holger Rune.
Rune shows the opponents: I'm hot!
Because the Dane, who, as he said after his victory against Yannick Hanfmann, is actually following the sun, presented himself in the sun of Monte Carlo like last week: only with a T-shirt. And of course in shorts. Which was also an announcement to his opponents: Look, I'm hot! In fact, Rune put his inner temperature into perspective a bit afterwards: He just doesn't like playing with a long undershirt.
But the dress language wasn't the only one with which Holger Rune went on the offensive. The still only 19-year-old would have had 15 reasons why he could have given up the match against Hanfmann - to quote a happily amazed ATP coach who was in the stands. To name just a few: the tiredness after the last week in Monte-Carlo. The comparatively low value of the tournament in Munich. The limited training opportunities due to the weather.
Zverev has to defend a final in Madrid
Nothing like that could stop Rune from a very smooth first performance at the BMW. That the stops didn't work that day? gift. Rune gave his fist for the first time after just three points, again very much to the gusto of the said coach, the positive emotions clearly retained the upper hand despite minor slacks.
With Alexander Zverev, on the other hand, there was only one optimistic mood: at the re-break to 4: 4 in the second set. After that it got frosty again for the fans of the German number one, no matter how you dressed: Zverev gave up the next service game and then didn't score any more at Service O'Connell. The press round that followed was correspondingly somber and short.
In Madrid, Zverev will be able to use the summer set again, in the Caja Magica he has actually always done very well. However, there is also a final from last year to defend, which is a whopping 600 points. Which could become important with regard to the placement at the French Open. He was in the semi-finals there last year, a few weeks after losing the opening game in Munich. Under similar conditions as on Thursday. Of course, his conqueror at the time also played in Kurz in 2022: Holger Rune.
Here is the individual tableau in Munich
munichmap