Can Zverev Maintain His Momentum After Griekspoor's Retirement?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Zverev continues his strong performance at the 2025 French Open.
- Griekspoor was unable to maintain his early momentum and retired due to exhaustion.
- Zverev's victory sets up a potential clash against either Djokovic or Norrie.
- The match highlighted the physical demands faced by players in high-stakes tournaments.
- This marks Zverev's seventh quarter-final appearance in eight years.
Paris, June 2 (NationPress) Alexander Zverev has extended his impressive journey at the 2025 French Open, advancing to the quarter-finals for the seventh time in eight years after his fourth-round rival Tallon Griekspoor had to retire during their match on Monday. The World No. 3 was ahead 6-4, 3-0 on Court Suzanne-Lenglen when Griekspoor, appearing exhausted, called for the physio and subsequently decided to withdraw after just 54 minutes. The Dutch player started strong, breaking Zverev early on and taking a 3-0 lead in the first set, but his momentum quickly faded as the German regained dominance.
This encounter marked the third time the two competitors have faced each other this season, with their developing rivalry delivering captivating matches throughout 2024. Griekspoor previously achieved a significant victory over Zverev at Indian Wells earlier this year, saving five match points before securing the most notable win of his career in tense tiebreaks. Zverev retaliated by winning in Munich, edging another closely contested match on his home soil to claim the title.
Now holding an overall lead of 8-2 against Griekspoor, Zverev seems to be peaking at an opportune moment in Paris. After being a finalist last year, where he narrowly lost in five sets to Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev has appeared confident throughout his 2025 journey, defeating Learner Tien, Jesper de Jong, and Flavio Cobolli in earlier rounds before Monday's shortened triumph.
The 28-year-old is set to face either top seed Novak Djokovic or Britain's Cameron Norrie in the quarter-finals. While Djokovic leads their past encounters 8-5, Zverev holds an impressive 6-0 record against Norrie.
Griekspoor was aiming to reach the quarter-finals of a major tournament for the first time. Just last week, the 28-year-old defeated Marcos Giron and Gabriel Diallo in four sets and overcame Ethan Quinn in a grueling three-hour, 16-minute five-set match.