"Sometimes, you have to know how to take care of your body," Zverev's words after Cerundolo's withdrawal in Toronto

Alexander Zverev advanced to the quarterfinals of the Toronto Masters 1000. In the early hours of Sunday, the German world No. 3 defeated Francisco Cerundolo for the first time in their four meetings.

However, the Argentine, struggling with an abdominal injury, was clearly hampered by the end of the first set and ultimately retired at the start of the second (6-4, 1-0 ret.). Speaking to ATP media, Zverev reflected on his opponent shortly after his victory.

"He’s an incredible player but also a great person. I have a very good relationship with him. I saw he was frustrated at 5-4 in the first set. Of course, I know that with an abdominal injury, you can’t serve.

"You can’t accelerate on your forehand, there’s not much you can do. He was almost crying. I just wanted to talk to him. He said the only thing keeping him going was the crowd.

"I told him, ‘Look, man. Sometimes, you have to know how to take care of your body.’ With an abdominal injury, you can quickly go from a few days of recovery to several months.

"And I definitely don’t want to see him sidelined for months. I want to see him on tour and achieving great results because he’s having an incredible season. I have so much respect for him.

"He had beaten me three times before today, and I really have nothing negative to say about him," Zverev told Tennis TV minutes after the match.