Alexander Zverev reached the semifinal of Bastad, and said that he is in better shape and has gotten smarter. The German is currently ranked No. 123 and could crack the Top 100 next week.
The 6-foot-6 Zverev said that while he is physically more powerful this year, it took him a while to figure out how to adapt his game to his growing body. The 18-year old qualified for Miami, losing to Lukas Rosol in the first round. He won a Challenger on clay in Heilbronn, Germany. Then at Wimbledon, he reached the second round, falling to Denis Kudla. Last year, he burst on the scene when he reached the semifinals of Hamburg on clay, losing to David Ferrer.
“The year has been pretty good. At the beginning of the year was I struggling a bit, I couldn't find a rhythm, couldn’t win matches, but now its going pretty well and I am happy where I am,” Zverev told the ATP. “I did a lot of physical work , so at the beginning of the start of the season I wasn't aware of what my body can do and how my body changed. So I was playing the same way last year, but I couldn’t because it was a different kind of game and body."
The up-and-comer said it took "quite a while" for him to get used to his new physique, but "now it’s really helping me."