Time for some quick trivia.
Who has won the most matches on the ATP Tour this year?
Jannik Sinner? Carlos Alcaraz? Novak Djokovic? Daniil Medvedev?
No, as it turns out.
It is none other than Alexander Zverev, who faces a familiar foe in Australia’s Jordan Thompson in one of Thursday’s marquee second-round matchups at the National Bank Open presented by Rogers.
Zverev entered this week having won 44 ATP matches, to be more specific. That doesn’t include three more at the Olympics last week in Paris.
While he fell just short of achieving his huge goal of winning a Grand Slam title — losing to Alcaraz in five sets in June’s French Open final in what was also the Olympic venue — those victories speak to how consistent the German has been in 2024.
If he is to get one more win against Thompson, it might not be straight forward.
We take a closer look at the matchup.
Zverev happy to be back
The ankle ligaments Zverev tore against Rafael Nadal at the French Open in 2022 ruled him out of Montréal that year, so it is his first time back since 2019.
Two years previously in Québec, Zverev won the whole event.
The lone set he dropped at Stade IGA came against Richard Gasquet in his opener.
In fact, Zverev saved a match point in one of the most dramatic ways ever, edging Gasquet in a mammoth 49-shot rally.
In the final, he topped another one-handed backhand artist in Roger Federer.
“Of course it was a long time ago…but at the same time, those memories stay there and you kind of feel comfortable on that centre court and having those memories here, which is great,” Zverev told the ATP. “I have a lot of hard work ahead of me. I have a lot of tough matches hopefully ahead of me.
“I’m going to do everything I can to play great tennis here.”
Thompson leads head to heads
Speaking of tough matches, Zverev and Thompson’s duel in the Mexican resort of Los Cabos in February couldn’t be classified any other way.
Thompson outlasted Zverev in three hours, 40 minutes in the semifinals. And as the match time indicates, Zverev didn’t exit tamely, succumbing on a seventh match point.
Several months earlier, ‘Thommo,’ as he is known, defeated the 27-year-old in Tokyo in straight sets.
Of Thompson’s four career Top 10 wins, half thus have come against Zverev.
Thompson won’t ever forget Los Cabos.
Besides the marathon win over Zverev, he rallied from 6-0, 3-0 down to get the better of Alex Michelsen in the quarterfinals and played three matches on the final day (two in doubles) in a span of about six hours.
Did we mention that it was his first ATP title?
Thompson sits at a career-high 30th in the rankings — equalling his age — and made the second round by ousting world No. 28 Jack Draper.
Quick turnaround for Zverev
Like Medvedev, Zverev faced a quick turnaround to compete in Montréal given his sojourn in Paris, which didn’t go the way he wanted.
As the defending champion in men’s singles — he beat Djokovic in Tokyo in the semifinals at the last Games — Zverev lost to the in-form Lorenzo Musetti (who in turn downed Montrealer Félix Auger-Aliassime in the bronze medal decider).
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Zverev said he felt slightly ill. But on another note on the health front, he said his knee is now feeling better after injuring it during a slip on the grass at Wimbledon.
Thompson, a doubles standout who combined with Max Purcell to oust Auger-Aliassime and Alexis Galarneau on Tuesday, skipped the Paris Games.
Countrymen Matt Ebden and John Peers took gold in Paris, though, with a comeback win against Americans Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram.
Featured in this news
