“There’s no other Grand Slam like this,” Alexander Zverev thanks the crowd for their support following his thrilling victory against Juan Pablo Varillas at the 2023 Australian Open

Alexander Zverev draws out a narrow victory in five sets against Juan Pablo Varillas in the first round of the 2023 Australian Open


“There’s no other Grand Slam like this,” Alexander Zverev thanks the crowd for their support following his thrilling victory against Juan Pablo Varillas at the 2023 Australian Open

Alexander Zverev

Alexander Zverev, the 25-year-old German professional is widely regarded as one of the top talents in the men’s circuit currently. Currently ranked world number 13, Zverev is one of those players to watch out for at this year’s Australian Open. The German professional played against Juan Pablo Varillas in the first round of the tournament and had a match to remember.

Zverev fought through a match that lasted for five sets, trailing by two sets to one Zverev rose to the occasion as soon as he saw the opportunity. The German professional won the game by 4-6, 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(3), and 6-4, it was a true test of perseverance and stamina but Zverev held on and emerged victorious.

YouTube video

After the match, Zverev said, “I am extremely happy because I missed this over the past seven months, This match alone pays off for all the hard work and suffering that I have had. To win in front of this kind of crowd again. I can’t wait for the rest of the tournament. No matter what happens from now, the tournament is already a success for me.

Related: “I earned that,” Andy Murray ecstatic after clinching record 50th Australian Open victory as he defeats Matteo Berrettini in a thrilling encounter

Alexander Zverev manages to turn around the first round of the 2023 Australian Open

Alexander Zverev

Zverev played through an incredible match-up against Canadian professional Juan Pablo Varillas in the first round of the tournament. This was Zverev’s first match at a Grand Slam ever since he suffered ankle ligament damage at the French Open last year, and it was surely a dramatic affair. The German professional eeked out a victory in a match that dragged on for five sets.

Due to the lack of game time and only returning to playing last December, Zverev did not seem fully ready to compete and that was evident in the first set of the match. Varillas had full control of the match in the beginning but that began to slow down as Zverev slowly got into his stride.

The start of the second set was when things started to stir for Zverev as he gained an early 4-0 lead and won the set 6-1 eventually. The fixture was nothing short of pure entertainment as Varillas started fighting back soon after but just came up short in the end.

In case you missed it:

WATCH: Daniil Medvedev reignites feud with fans after being caught swearing at fans during his first-round match at the 2023 Australian Open

“I thought sports has nothing to do with politics,” Aryna Sabalenka gives her take on the ban on Belarusian and Russian flags at the Australian Open