Griekspoor Aims for Repeat Against Zverev in Munich Quarter-finals

MUNICH, Germany — Tallon Griekspoor is set to face Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals of the BMW Open by Bitpanda on Friday, trying to build on the momentum from his recent victory over the German at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. After a grueling match that lasted over three hours, Griekspoor triumphed 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(4), marking his first win against Zverev after five consecutive losses.

Reflecting on his past encounters, Griekspoor admitted, “I felt the momentum in our head-to-head pretty strongly. I beat him once in Rotterdam, and then I lost the next five times. In all of them, I was pretty close. I felt like it was more of a mental barrier there.” Griekspoor’s victory in Indian Wells not only improved his Lexus ATP Head2Head record against Zverev to 2-6 but also boosted his confidence significantly.

“I was definitely super proud of myself, how I did it mentally there,” he said. “He served for the match in the second set, I served for it in the third. I wasted five match points. So I guess it wasn’t easy to do, but mentally that win meant a lot.” Griekspoor also noted that the win was significant because it was his first victory over a top-five player.

As he prepares for their rematch in Munich, Griekspoor is aware that past experiences can linger. “It’s never easy. I mean, it’s nice when the head-to-head is going your way, but it’s maybe even tougher when it doesn’t go your way,” he explained. “You know the history, you know how it has been before. So especially with Zverev, it was such a mental thing.”

Interestingly, Griekspoor shared that he enjoys playing Zverev despite their prior losses, saying, “I actually like playing with Zverev, because I have been close every time and he’s obviously one of the best players in the world.”

In addition to his recent success in Indian Wells, Griekspoor reached the final at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Marrakech earlier this month, showcasing his growth on clay. “I always said it was my favourite surface, which it actually was,” he noted. Having earned numerous titles on clay at the challenger level, he is now looking to replicate that success on the ATP Tour.

After playing well in Munich, where he has compiled a 5-2 clay court record this season, Griekspoor feels ready to tackle the European clay season ahead. “I am a guy who needs a lot of matches on clay before I find my rhythm,” he said. His results in Marrakech, where he performed strongly in his first clay final, have set a positive tone for the upcoming matches.

“That was actually the perfect first week on clay. Played finals, played well… which was a very good achievement,” he stated. Griekspoor aims to continue his strong performances, providing he can effectively harness his experience and build from his recent successes against formidable opponents.