A. ZVEREV/C. Ruud
7-6, 6-3
THE MODERATOR: Well done, Sascha. What were you most pleased about your game tonight?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think I played very, very good in important moments. I think I've had a few situations where I was 15-30 down on my serve in the first set. I thought I got rid of the situations quite well. Especially I thought there was very good tennis in the tiebreak. I'm pleased with that.
I thought it was a very high-level match. I don't remember Casper serving this way ever. I think he had 92% first serves in the first set. This number is something I've never seen before.
THE MODERATOR: Questions.
Q. The eight best players, eight leading players in the world are over here. You'd expect a lot of these matches to be very close. The eight round-robin matches that have been played so far, there hasn't been a single three-setter. Any thoughts on that?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I think there's a few reasons for that.
I think one, Casper and Carlos probably should have been a three-set match. Maybe Carlos didn't feel as well as he would have loved.
I mean, they both I think right now are playing incredible tennis. Honestly, I've never seen Casper playing like this. I've never played against him when he's playing this well on a hard court. On clay sometimes he dominates quite massively. I've never seen him play this well on a hard court.
I think Jannik is just very dominant right now. Today's match could have gone three sets, both of them. I mean, Andrey was a few set points away.
There's a few factors. I think they were still very interesting matches, right? I think they were very tight matches in the group stages.
I know what you mean. Last year I think there were a bunch of three-set matches. It was super exciting, super close. This is how tennis is. You cannot predict the future. You cannot have every year the same results, expect it's going to be 7-6 in the third every time you play someone.
I've played guys, for example Carlos even this year, I've played him where we had incredible battles, like the French Open final. Then I've played him at the Australian Open in the quarters where I feel like I dominated him completely. Then I played him in Indian Wells where he dominated me completely.
If you're playing against the best players in the world, doesn't necessarily mean you always are going to get tight matches just because it's the best players in the world. Sometimes it depends on how they feel, their form.
If they're at their best, yes, you're going to get tight matches. Sometimes somebody feels better than others. Maybe this is the case this week.
I mean, I don't know what to say. I know as a tennis fan, you're hoping for tough, three-set battles. Maybe we're going to get them at the end of the week. Who knows.
Q. You lost 10 points on your serve on 10 games versus Rublev. You lost tonight 11 points on 11 service games against Ruud. That means you're losing one point per game. How do you explain that? You are not making any more double-faults, which is something that we were used years ago.
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: If I get broken the next match, it's your fault (smiling). If I make one double-fault on a break point, I'm going to only think about you. It's the only reason (laughter).
Q. Are you happy that you're going to play in the afternoon next match so when you will have to practice, you will practice in the late afternoon instead of late night?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: No, I would have preferred to play at night, for sure, to keep the same rhythm. But it is how it is. I've played two night matches now. I guess it's fair that I play during the day once.
Yeah, if I continue with these serving stats, I'm going to be very happy (smiling).
Q. These extra training sessions that you're taking after a match, when you decided to start? Why is it? Is it to try to take a further step to reach perfection? Is not enough effort what you did on the court?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: Today was about the return only. I feel like Casper has been serving extremely well, but I thought I could return better. That was today.
In general, as I said in Paris, it's not about today, it's not about tomorrow, it's not about the next match. I want to improve a few things for the next season already.
I want to develop my game further so I can compete with Jannik and Carlos. As simple as that. They're the two benchmarks right now. They're the ones that are winning Grand Slams. I want to be part of that group.
I know they're going to improve, so I have to keep up.
Q. The Torino contract expires next year. The ATP is deciding this week the future of the tournament. Have they talked to the players, involved the players council at all, talked to you? What are your thoughts on should it stay in Turin? What do you think?
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I know what is going to happen, so... I'm not going to tell you. I'm not going to be the source that you find out. I know what's going to happen from 2026 onwards.
Q. (No microphone.)
ALEXANDER ZVEREV: I know what's going to happen. I'm not going to tell you more. You're not going to get it from me. Not this time (smiling).
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