Alexander Zverev relishing bout with friend Flavio Cobolli in Roland Garros final

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/zverev-alexander/dGbUhw9m/"]Zverev[/a] reached his fourth Grand ‌Slam title clash by beating Czech 26th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Jakub Mensik[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/mensik-j-UFj257G8/zverev-a-dGbUhw9m/?mid=2FOmfoWO"]7-5, 6-2, 3‑6, 6-3[/a] on Friday, shortly before ‌10th seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/cobolli-flavio/zDtaCcPe/"]Cobolli[/a] advanced when fellow Italian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arnaldi-matteo/hlVLAfZK/"]Matteo Arnaldi[/a] withdrew due to a ‌viral illness.[/p][p]Looking ahead to the final, where he will seek his maiden major trophy, Zverev ‌struck a respectful tone when discussing his opponent's family.[/p][p]"[b]We got closer at the ‌Laver Cup in 2024 in Berlin[/b]," Zverev told reporters.[/p][p]"[b]Sometimes when there were difficult moments, his father used to come up to me and would ask me questions. He would ask my father questions about ‌tennis, about different things[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I was always very happy to ⁠talk to him. I think that's when it ‌started. With some people it just continues naturally, and it does with Flavio[/b]."[/p][embed guid="7ec5308c-22da-47e5-ab18-327f6c79791f" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBHbf5DqqDk" social-type="youtube" /][p]The mutual respect ​has carried into their rivalry, which stands at 3-1 to Zverev after he gained revenge in the Madrid quarter-finals for a loss to Cobolli in the ​semis in Munich.[/p][p]"He's a great player and a great guy," Zverev added.[/p][p]"[b]I look forward to playing him in the final. Of course, it's his first final, I'm happy ⁠for him that he reached ​it. But yeah, the only thing I can control is that I play good tennis. I'll try to show my level[/b].[/p][p]"I'll try to do the right things. That's the only thing that matters to me."[/p][h2]'I could play again now'[/h2][p]Zverev said Cobolli being fresher ‌by not playing his semi-final would have no bearing on the final.[/p][p]"[b]I feel fine. I didn't have brutally long matches. I feel like I could play again now[/b]," Zverev said.[/p][p]"[b]I think it's not the way that you want a semi-final of a Grand Slam to happen, but I also saw Matteo in the locker room, and he looked awful. I understand it[/b].[/p][p]"There's nothing much he can do. Things like that happen. We're all human. We don't wish for them to happen, but they do. I don't think it's going to be a big difference on Sunday."[/p][embed guid="618085fd-b200-457a-8ed3-23bca61128c4" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zqnUeFmoVU" social-type="youtube" /][p]After losing last year's Australian ‌Open final, his third defeat in the title round on the biggest stage, Zverev ​said he had no difficulty staying calm in the months that followed.[/p][p]"It's not ‌been that long. It was last year," Zverev added.[/p][p]"[b]Throughout most of the time I was either number two or number three in the world. So I do feel like I can get back to those stages, and I do feel like I'll get back to the stages throughout the entire period[/b].[/p][p]"[b]I didn't play ⁠well last year ... but I felt like ⁠I was going to find it ‌again. I'm happy to be back at this stage[/b]."[/p]