Griekspoor’s Grand Slam hopes dashed; Injury in Paris forces Dutch star to quit match
A promising Grand Slam journey for Tallon Griekspoor was cut short at Roland Garros on Monday, with the Dutch hopeful retiring early from his match against Alexander Zverev. Battling an undisclosed injury, Griekspoor ended his bid for a quarterfinal berth.
Griekspoor had started the match by breaking Zverev’s opening serve and quickly building a commanding 3-0 lead in the first set. His powerful serves reached up to 184 km/h, and he put immediate pressure on his rival with clever shot placement, including a backhand winner down the line.
However, Zverev mounted a formidable comeback in the first set that saw him hold momentum to win five consecutive games en route to a 6-4 victory in the first set. His blisteringly fast serves and precise placement meant he had no reason to play defensively. He closed out the tenth game of the first set with a stunning 212 km/h ace.
Zverev kept control in the second set by immediately breaking Griekspoor’s serve, as the Dutch player’s discomfort grew. A series of unforced errors put Griekspoor in a difficult position, and his serving speed and play showed signs of decline.
In the third game of the second set, Zverev secured another break, taking a commanding 3-0 lead. Griekspoor’s game unraveled with three straight errors, including a missed overhead, as Zverev’s deep topspin-heavy returns proved too much.
Griekspoor then called for his physiotherapist. After a brief discussion, the Dutch player retired from the match.
Zverev will now advance to the quarterfinals, where he awaits the winner of the match between British star Cameron Norrie and the top seeded player, Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
