An inspired Alex Zverev put on a show against Marcos Giron. He crushed the opposition, taking that match 6-2, 6-1 and moving on to the second round of the Halle Open. The German tennis sensation is coming into this semifinal on a mission to capture his first career title on grass. In the past, he’s had success in Halle as a finalist in both 2016 and 2017. Home hero Zverev is looking to win his seventh career title on German soil, building on a growing résumé.
Just before half time, the match was dramatically interrupted when an unfortunate incident started to occur involving a spectator…A section of an advertisement board collapsed onto a fan standing in the stadium and knocked him out cold. At that time, Zverev was up a break and 5-2 on serve, 15-30 in the first set. Image via Zverev After taking the picture, Zverev quickly rushed over to help the injured fan. He gave her an ice pack, and she held it behind her head.
Tournament director Ralf Weber expressed deep concern over the incident, stating, “There has never been anything like this in our 32-year tournament history. We deeply regret the incident.” Event managers Dr. Udo Kleine and Uwe Greipel-Dominik noted that they would investigate the cause, suspecting that “drumming against the boards caused screws to come loose.” They promised that all other boards and their fixings would be inspected right after Zverev’s match.
Zverev’s play against Giron came on the heels of a loss to Taylor Fritz in the Stuttgart Open final just days before. With the win locked in the books, he turns his attention to his next foe. Lorenzo Sonego on deck in Halle Open 2R.
Weber’s immediate action saved the injured fan’s life by ensuring her most critical health needs were treated. As a kind of goodwill gesture, he gave her a free season ticket for next season.
As Zverev continues through the tournament, he is understandably excited at the prospect of finally securing a grass title. His intensity and commitment to his craft is apparent on the floor. Beyond basketball, he makes sure his fans are taken care of, further proving he is a solid dude.
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