Frustrated, Zverev slipped off the field with his head bowed. After the end he was self-critical: “In the end it wasn’t good enough,” said the man from Hamburg. “There are no excuses. There is nothing. I have to take it on myself and try to make the most of it,” said the world number three.

Zverev was one of the favorites in the first Grand Slam of the year and traveled to Australia with the goal of winning the title. Had that really happened, it would have been a new number one in the world. “I can sit here right now and say, ‘I have a cold and something else. “But no, I’m always very honest,” said the 24-year-old. I have nothing. I just had a tough week to be honest.”

Zverev said he would still do everything in his power to eventually lift the Grand Slam trophy: “But right now it’s ridiculous to talk about that, because I lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open when he was the third seed, so I’m far from That at the moment.”

Zverev without self-confidence

The start was favorable. Because Serbian world number one and record champion Novak Djokovic was not allowed to compete due to his visa revocation, Zverev’s chances increased – even if Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal awaits in the quarter-finals. But third place in the world rankings lacks the usual safety with key kicks against Shapovalov. From the self-confidence he felt in the last few months of last season after him Tokyo Gold Medal There was nothing to see.

Many mistakes in the hamburger game

Zverev played incorrectly and seemed sluggish. He admitted the break to make it 1:3 and backtracking 1:4: 3:6 meant losing the first set in the tournament. Hamburger has won all of the previous three matches in three sets.

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Zverev started the second set with a needless forehand foul and a double fault. Immediately he had two balls against him again. When he repelled them, he allowed himself to breathe in a loud “Come.”

Zverev broke his racket

Almost as if he had to make it clear that it was about entering the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam. BUT: the next double error and then the next loss of service. Zverev pierced his racket three times on the ground and made him unfit to play and received a warning. The outburst of anger seemed only a matter of time.

But it did not get better: Zverev made wrong decisions on the rally, did not hit some balls correctly and behaved very negatively. The number three player in the world kept looking suspiciously at his team.

A quick loss to serve in the third set

The second set loss is also a feature of the uncertain performance: left-handed Shapovalov double-faulted on the first set ball. But instead of equaling his own serve to make it 6:6, Zverev came up with a totally failed tire ball. The third set also started with a quick loss of serve. The ATP Finals winner has never defeated a Top Ten in a Grand Slam tournament. This Sunday in Melbourne wasn’t enough for 14th in the world either.

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