Alexander Zverev retired mid-way through his semi-final against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros after twisting his ankle
Alexander Zverev has revealed concerns that the ankle injury which forced him to withdraw from Friday’s French Open semi-final against Rafael Nadal is “very serious”. Zverev had to be pushed off the Philippe Chatrier Court on a wheelchair after twisting his ankle late in the second set as he trailed 7-6, 6-6 against the Spaniard.
Zverev and Nadal had been on court for three hours and 13 minutes, with the Spaniard winning the first set in a tie break when the German’s injury occurred. In a video message on Instagram, Zverev provided a detailed update on his injury.
“Very difficult moment for me today on the court, obviously a fantastic match until what happened. Looks like I have a very serious injury, but the medical team and the doctors are still checking on it and we’ll keep you updated, we’ll let you know as soon as we know more”, said the 25-year-old.
He further added, “I want to congratulate Rafa. It’s incredible to see him in a 14th final and hopefully, he can go all the way and make some more history.”
21-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is set to take on Norway’s Casper Ruud in the final of the Roland Garros. In the other semi-final, Norway’s Casper Ruud came back from a set down to beat Marin Cilic 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 in a thrilling match.
Nadal is aiming for a record 22nd Grand Slam in Paris but the final against Ruud is undoubtedly going to be a tricky challenge. Nadal and Ruud have never faced each other before on the ATP tour. On paper, Nadal is the outright favourite both in terms of rankings and past history in the tournament. However, the young Norwegian certainly has the potential to spring up a surprise.
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