Alexander Zverev
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Pipped by many as a future World No. 1, 19-year-old Alexander Zverev is seeded 18th, ahead of older brother Mischa, at Indian Wells. As a result of that seeding, he, like his brother will receive a first-round bye, and should have it easy until the Round of 16. That is where the young player will set up a clash with Australian ace Nick Kyrgios.
The two have never met on Tour before, having only faced off once – at the 2016 edition of the exhibition team tennis tournament, the Hopman Cup, with Kyrgios taking victory then.
But this is a different kettle of fish. The two are in the same quarter- the fourth, and one that is packed to the brim with top players – among them Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Juan Martin Del Potro.
Last year, Zverev became one of an elite list of players who have won ATP Tour level titles in their teens - among the others on that list is Rafael Nadal. The younger Zverev defeated Stan Wawrinka for the title at St. Petersburg only weeks after Wawrinka’s US Open victory.
Should he win that, he could set up a quarter-final against either Juan Martin del Potro or Novak Djokovic, a tough ask either way. Zverev has played neither on tour so far, but Novak Djokovic, even on a ‘bad’ day, is the World No. 2. His struggling form, however, has been picked apart by a number of players over 2016 and the beginning of the year, giving the talented Zverev – who has taxed the best – an opening this year.
It will be a miraculous story for the youngster if he does manage it, and a big argument in favour of the ‘Next Gen’ of tennis should Zverev manage to pull this one off, but he has more than the skill to do so.
The young player lost to Rafael Nadal in Round 4 last year – and will look to better his performance through a monster of a draw.
