BY JAMES BECK
CHARLESTON, S.C. – – Roland Garros and TNT Sports need a good weekend.
Only a couple of second-stringers will try to make it happen. Relative unknowns Maja Chwalinska and Flavio Cobolli have a big job.
At least, their opponents are being as gifted as possible Grand Slam champions. Mirra Andreeva and Alexander Zverev are heavy favorites to start next week as just that.
If that doesn’t happen, it wouldn’t be as surprising as playing the latter stages of this French Open without world’s No. 1s Aryna Sabalenka and Jannik Sinner.
IS ZVEREV A SAFE BET TO JOIN THE ALL-TIME RANKS?
Zverev looks like a safe bet to finally put his name on a Grand Slam tournament championship trophy.
He has been resting in the shadows of Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner since Rafa Nadal retired or Novak Djokovic appeared on the edge of giving up his chase for all-time Grand Slam men’s tennis records.
And now, it’s up to the talented Zverev to make his move for greatness.
The 6-6 Zverev appeared to be really sharp and determined to win Friday’s semifinal bout against 6-5, 20-year-old Jakub Minsik rather easily. Zverev’s 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory surprised no one.
ZVEREV TALENTED AND TOUGH
After looking so talented against the always great Djokovic in the round of 16, Brazilian Joao Fonseca
couldn’t handle Mensik. But then Mensik was no match for Zverev in the semifinals.
And too bad the Italian angle didn’t show up in its entirety as Matteo Arnaldi might have been called a no-show for his withdrawal against talented 24-year-old Flavio Cobolli in the semifinals. The question now is whether Cobolli can compete with the tall hard-hitting Zverev who became the first German man to win an Olympic gold medal in 2021.
Probably not. Zverev is in his fourth Grand Slam final and may be headed for glory the rest of the year and maybe next year, too. He has the talent and toughness to take over the men’s game on every surface.
POLISH SURPRISE IS AMAZING
Chwalinska may look harmless, but the 5-5 24-year-old Polish surprise is dangerous with her left-handed game. She’s almost amazing. You might say she hits everything that bounces, and with great placement.
She’s not the smooth, yet powerful 5-9, 19-year-old Russian Andreeva.
This one could be a challenge for Andreeva on the red clay at Roland Garros.
—
James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
