Alexander Zverev showed his class after defeating British wildcard Arthur Fery in the Wimbledon semi-finals, tipping the 20-year-old for a long and successful career on the ATP Tour. However, the German world No. 2 could not resist a light-hearted jab at his own performance during the post-match interview.
Zverev's Five-Word Joke
Speaking to BBC's Rishi Persad after his 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory on Centre Court, Zverev was asked to sum up his display. He replied with a deadpan: "It was okay, I guess," before breaking into a smile and elaborating on his true feelings.
"No, it was amazing," Zverev said. "To be honest I have to give credit to two things. First of all Arthur, an unbelievable player, I think he's going to be a senior citizen on our tour because I think he's going to play on this tour for 15-plus years and is going to have great results."
High Praise for Fery
Zverev, who won the French Open earlier this year to secure his first Grand Slam title, was full of admiration for the 20-year-old Briton. "I think this was just the beginning of his career and I think he's going to do amazing things for this sport," he added.
Fery, who entered the tournament as a wildcard, pushed Zverev in the first set before the German's experience and power told. The victory sends Zverev into his second consecutive Grand Slam final, where he will face the winner of the other semi-final between Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner.
Praise for the Wimbledon Crowd
Zverev also took time to thank the Wimbledon crowd, acknowledging that the vast majority were supporting his opponent. "Yes I know that 99.99 percent of the stadium was wanting Arthur to win but it was still such an incredible atmosphere, it was such a fair crowd as well," he said.
"I enjoyed every second of it even though… and for me I think a lot of stadiums in the world, a lot of crowds in the world can take an example from this crowd. I think for me it's one of the best crowds to play tennis in front of."
