Alexander Zverev unhappy with China Open scheduling: "I’m not sure we should’ve waited till past midnight to start the match"

Alexander Zverev voiced his dissatisfaction with the scheduling of the 2023 China Open, as he was forced to endure a late-night finish during the second round.

Zverev bounced back after losing the opening-set tie-break to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-7(4), 6-2, 6-1 in the second round to propel him to his 10th quarter-final of the season on Saturday, September 30.

The former World No. 2 will next face Chile's Nicolas Jarry who defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Arnaldi to reach the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 tournament.

The match between Alexander Zverev and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina commenced with a delay, consequently causing it to conclude later than expected. After his victory, the German addressed the media in a post-match interview to shed light on the experience he and the Spaniard had to endure due to the match's conclusion at 2:30 AM.

Zverev expressed his frustration at having to play at such a late hour and questioned the decision to keep the players on the court. He suggested that instead of making them wait, the organizers should have planned the schedule better or even contemplated relocating their match to other courts in the stadium.

“I’m happy with the win. Obviously, it’s difficult to play til 3 am. I’m not sure it was the right call to keep us on this court. I think we should’ve changed courts. We should’ve gone on. There’s so many great courts on the stadium. So many opportunities where we could’ve played. I’m not sure we should’ve waited til past midnight to start the match, to be honest,” Zverev said.

Alexander Zverev to face Nicolas Jarry in China Open 2023 quarterfinal

Alexander Zverev at the 2023 China Open

Alexander Zverev recently clinched his 21st career title in Chengdu. He defeated Pavel Kotov, Miomir Kecmanovic, and Grigor Dimitrov to earn his place in the final. He emerged victorious against Roman Safiullin to secure the title.

Meanwhile, Jarry arrived in Beijing with minimal momentum, having suffered a third-round defeat to Australia's Alex de Minaur at the 2023 US Open. However, he managed to turn the tide by defeating formidable opponents such as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Matteo Arnaldi, propelling him to the quarterfinals.

This upcoming encounter will mark the sixth meeting between Alexander Zverev and Nicolas Jarry, with Zverev currently holding a slight advantage in their head-to-head series, leading 3-2. The two recently squared off in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Halle Open, where the German emerged victorious in straight sets.