The Spanish Barnabas Zapata did not hide his feelings after losing in the second round of Roland Garros in american Taylor Fritz and broke his ceiling at the Grand Slam and told Efe it was the “most exciting fight” of his career.
“It has been exceptional, I have gone from less to more, I think that is what sums up the duel well,” the Spaniard said after beating the thirteenth favorite 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 and 6-3 in 2 hours and 17 minutes.
Zapata, who at 25 is 131 in the world, entered the final table in Paris for the second consecutive campaign through the preliminary stage.
“I played well, last year too, but I didn’t expect to be in the third round. Now we have to enjoy it and stay psyched to face the next match”, commented the tennis player, who arrived in Paris who had a great run on clay, after overcoming predecessors in Marrakech, Montecarlo, Barcelona and Estoril and reaching the quarterfinals in Heilbronn.
The player enjoyed his game as much as his attitude on the court: “I am super happy, more than with the result, knowing that I gave everything and fighting, which is the most important thing. Winning or losing can happen every day, but I’m happy with the way I approach the battles “.
A good mentality that helped him against Fritz, who prevailed in the first round, but that didn’t weaken the Spanish inside
“When I lost in the first set I had a bit of a mental downturn, but I tried to be positive, find solutions to problems and what I did wrong in the first set and that allowed me to be calm, resolve it and raise the level “said.
“In these matches it shows where your level is and that I have played a match with a very high level of tennis. But I’m not looking anymore. The level at this point on the circuit is pretty much the same, but the This battle makes you gain confidence for the future “, he commented.
Now he will have another high -profile challenge, American giant John Isner, seeded 23, a veteran who is well defending his tennis on clay based on the power of his service.
“He served better than Taylor, but he also played well from baseline. It’s going to be a very difficult game, I have to come out and compete and give it my all,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
