Forgotten Foe: Alexander Zverev's Unexpected Memory Lapse Against Brandon Nakashima
Tennis player Alexander Zverev experiencing puzzling episode.
Reminds the Press to Help Remember an Old Rival
Alexander Zverev's mind goes blank when journalists bring up Brandon Nakashima, his quarterfinal opponent at the Stuttgart Open. "Hold on a tick, mate, there's something familiar about that dude... Brandon Nakashima, ring a bell?" Zverev humorously admitted, looking a bit dazed during a press conference.
Nakashima is no stranger to Zverev, having faced off on three different ATP Tour competitions in the past, with Zverev emerging victorious on each occasion—the most recent of which was at the US Open last year. When enlightened by one of the journalists, his eyes lit up, exclaiming, "Ah, yeah! I remember now!"
The reigning world No. 3 stressed that his preparation for the upcoming match would remain the same, using statistics to his advantage and following his trusted game plan. As he put it casually, "I know the bloke, seems I've played him three times before."
Seeding Sensation: Zverev's Return to Stuttgart's Grass Courts
Zverev's first challenge in his ongoing pursuit of another Stuttgart doubles title was Corentin Moutet, a left-handed Frenchman ranked 28th in the world. In the oppressive afternoon heat, Zverev kicked off the match with a decisive break in the opening set, consolidating it neatly with an imposing service hold.
However, Moutet's resilience began to show in the longer rallies on grass, as both players exhibited steady frustration. The climax came when Zverev clinched the second set after a thrilling tiebreak, winning it 9-7, followed by converting his first match point to win 6-2, 7-6 (9-7).
References: ntv.de, tno/dpa/sid
- Alexander Zverev
- Tennis
"I'm not sure if I've played tennis against Brandon Nakashima in sports recently, though we've faced off before," Zverev pondered, trying to recall his past encounters.
After a moment, he remembered their prior matches, admitting, "Yes, I've played tennis against him three times before in sports, including the US Open last year."
