Paris, May 31 (IANS) Alexander Zverev fought back from a slow beginning and a tough challenge from Jesper de Jong to reach the Roland Garros quarter-finals for the sixth straight year, continuing his quest for his first Grand Slam win.
The second-seeded German player in Paris overcame an early deficit to beat lucky loser De Jong 7-6(3), 6-4, 6-1 in a fourth-round match on Court Philippe-Chatrier that took two hours and 14 minutes.
De Jong, ranked World No. 106, began confidently and quickly took a 3-0 lead in the first set, momentarily challenging one of the tournament favourites. Nevertheless, Zverev gradually adjusted from the baseline, gaining control of the match and ultimately defeating the Dutch player through his greater consistency and better shot selection.
“In the beginning it was a bit difficult. I didn’t start off strong and he started off really fast and really well. But once I found my rhythm, I felt very comfortable on the court and that’s the most important thing for me. I feel like my game is there, now it’s about showing it on the match court,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.
The victory continues a remarkable streak of consistency for the 29-year-old at Roland Garros. By advancing to the quarter-finals for the eighth time in his career, Zverev tied for sixth place in the Open Era records for most last-eight appearances at this clay-court Grand Slam.
Having finished as the runner-up in Paris last year and reaching three Grand Slam finals overall, Zverev remains a strong contender for his career’s biggest prize. In the match against De Jong, he converted four out of seven break points created and grew more dominant as the match went on.
The German’s path to the semi-finals now leads through one of the ATP Tour’s most promising young players. Zverev will next compete against 19-year-old Rafael Jodar, who made a remarkable comeback to beat Pablo Carreno Busta 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 and advance to the quarter-finals.
Jodar’s swift ascent has been a highlight of the 2026 clay-court season. Initially ranked outside the top 100, the young player has rapidly climbed into the top 20 and currently holds the lead on the ATP Tour with 19 clay-court wins this year.
“He’s a very young player, incredibly talented. He’s come on the scene this clay-court season, from being ranked outside the Top 100 to now being almost Top 20, within two months. So he’s playing incredible tennis and it’s going to be a very difficult challenge, but I have to trust myself and I’ll be ready for it,” Zverev said of Jodar.
With several high-profile players exiting the men’s draw, Zverev has become one of the main contenders for the title. Only two Top-10 players remain in the tournament, with World No. 6 Felix Auger-Aliassime the other top seed. A win against Jodar on Tuesday would advance Zverev to the Roland Garros semi-finals for the fifth time and bring him closer to finally achieving Grand Slam success.
–IANS
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