A Straight-Sets Win That Felt Anything But Easy
Alexander Zverev extended his winning streak to eight consecutive matches with a 6-4, 7-6(3) victory over Matej Dodig during Germany's Davis Cup tie against Croatia on home soil. On paper, the result looks comfortable. In reality, Zverev was rattled by a 21-year-old who has never been ranked higher than world No. 171 and has yet to make his Grand Slam debut.
Dodig actually out-hit Zverev in winners during the match, producing 28 to Zverev's 22. Even more striking: 24 of those came off a forehand that the German described as carrying "incredible" power. Zverev admitted he did not see this level of play coming, calling it an "extremely difficult match" and adding that he expects to see Dodig competing "at the top of the game very, very soon."
A Breakout Moment for Dodig
For his part, Dodig was fully aware of the opportunity in front of him and poured everything into the contest. He described it as "maybe the best match of my life," noting that he played aggressively on his serve throughout before nerves and cramping crept in late. The raw emotion in his post-match comments painted the picture of a player who knew he had announced himself on a big stage, even in defeat.
The action in the Germany versus Croatia tie continues, with Dodig set to face Daniel Altmaier and Zverev preparing to take on Dino Prizmic, a player who caused a sensation earlier this year by eliminating Novak Djokovic at the Italian Open. TennisDraw users tracking the Davis Cup bracket will want to keep a close eye on how this exciting young Croatian develops through the rest of the competition.
