Italian Open: Andy Roddick Hypes Alexander Zverev’s Opponent With Inspiring Statement Ahead of All-Crucial Clash

The Italian Open final is here, finally! As the clay court of Foro Italico sets gets ready, we are all eagerly waiting to see a thrilling clash between Nicolas Jarry and Alexander Zverev. But before their game begins, Andy Roddick has given his verdict on who he is betting on to take the trophy home.

During a conversation in Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Andy Roddick spoke, “we’re not gonna see much in this highlight that we haven’t seen this week from Nico Jarry. That guy can absolutely dump it.” Nicolas Jarry’s journey up to the final match has been nothing short of remarkable. He has successfully battled and won five matches, the latest being against Tommy Paul, to reach the final. Not only this week, but his journey in this season has also been incredible.

Overcoming a respiratory problem that troubled him for years, Nicolas Jarry has finally brought his ‘A’ game on-court. It was visible during his last year’s massive win in Santiago and Geneva. And this year, he has extended his achievements even further. The Chilean player’s victory against World No. 2, Carlos Alcaraz in Buenos Aires earlier this year, was yet another noticeable performance of his on-court. And almost three months later, the former Miami Open quarterfinalist is all set for his second final match appearance today. 

Roddick, a keen observer of his improvement over the last couple of years, further added, “He is capable if I’m Jerry’s coach, I’m going yes. This means everything this means we’re going to win for sure. I don’t put as much stock in it. But listen, when you get hit the ball that big, you’re certainly capable of upsets.”

On the other hand, the former World No. 2 has had a rough couple of years since he suffered an ankle injury in the semifinal of the French Open in 2022. Referring to this, Roddick highlighted what is missing from Alexander Zverev’s game lately. “I think Alexander Zverev, he’s not hitting those shots another year in from recovering from that ankle surgery. Zverev was also not missing back-ins through the middle of a court these days.”  While Zverev finds his way through the challenges, Jarry remains happy to reach the final in Rome.

When Nicolas Jarry revealed that he played his “best tennis”

When Nicolas Jarry achieved one of the biggest wins of his career on Friday in the semifinal, he sat down on his knees and celebrated his victory. After all, he not only beat the Monte Carlo Masters winner, Stefanos Tsitsipas, but also became the first Chilean player to reach a Masters 1000 final in Rome since 2007. It was Fernando Gonzalez who made the last record. Along with this, he will also move up the ranking to 17!

Reflecting on how he managed to achieve this great feat, after the match, Jarry said, “I think I played my best tennis. I gave it everything and went for it. I did that the whole match. It’s hard to keep that level of concentration. But now I’m in the final.”

While he celebrates this great victory, he is now vying to add one more title to his name this season. And as Andy Roddick has already made his preferences clear, it is time for all of us to start rooting for our favorites too!