Zverev with a mysterious appearance
Zverev gave up puzzles when he lost and didn’t find his game at all from the start. Shapovalov, number 14 in the world rankings, also showed fluctuations and kept weakening servicebut Zverev could not use this for himself.
Zverev did not live up to his claims of achieving a Grand Slam triumph this year in Australia. Because the Serbian world number one and record champion Novak Djokovic was not allowed to compete due to his canceled visa, Zverev’s chances had increased – even if the Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal would have been waiting in the quarterfinals.
But the third in the world rankings lacked the usual security with the basic strokes against Shapovalov. There was no sign of the self-confidence that had characterized him in the final months of last season after his gold medal in Tokyo.
Zverev struggles with the afternoon heat and with his own weaknesses
In his first match, which started in hot Melbourne in the afternoon, Zvervev played incorrectly and seemed sluggish. He conceded the break to make it 1:3 and fell behind 1:4. During the change of sides, he put a cooling ice towel over his shoulders. The 3:6 meant losing the first set in the tournament. The Hamburger had won all three previous games in three sets.
Zverev started the second set with a superfluous forehand mistake and a double fault. Immediately he had two breakballs against him again. When he had fended them off, he let himself be greeted with a loud “come on“Air. Almost a little as if he had to make it clear that it was about entering a Grand Slam quarterfinals. But: The next double fault and the next loss of service followed.
Zverev hacked his racket three times on the ground, made him unfit to play and received a warning. The outburst of anger seemed only a matter of time. But it didn’t get any better: Zverev made wrong decisions in the rally, he didn’t hit some balls correctly and acted too passively.
Symbolic: When he himself had a break chance to make it 2:2, he hit the return with the racket frame. The ball landed on the upper rows of spectators. Zverev then used the next break chance. But the fact that he stayed in the game was more due to Shapovalov’s lack of consistency. Zverev lost a 5: 3 lead in the second set. The number three in the world kept looking questioningly at his team.
Shapovalov anything but outstanding
The loss of the second set is also characteristic of the uncertain performance: left-hander Shapovalov made a double mistake on his first set ball. But instead of equalizing with his own serve to make it 6: 6, Zverev came up with a completely unsuccessful frame ball.
“He gave the opponent time and too much space. He needs to put more pressure on“, judged Eurosport expert Boris Becker after losing tiebreak, which was something like the preliminary decision. But the third set also began with a quick loss of service. Shapovalov showed no more weaknesses and brought the match home.
Out for Krawietz/Mies
The successful German doubles Kevin Krawietz/Andreas Mies also experienced the disappointing end: the two-time French Open winners lost to the Australian-Slovak team in fifth place John Peers/Filip Polasek on Sunday in just 65 minutes with 1: 6, 2: 6 and missed the quarter-finals.
Krawietz and Mies, who were seeded at twelve, competed together in a Grand Slam tournament in Melbourne for the first time since winning the title in Roland Garros in 2020. The “KraMies” made their comeback after more than a year last week ATPtournament in Sydney, where they reached the semi-finals.
In Melbourne, the tennis professionals had only competed together in 2020 and failed in the first round, now it was over in the round of 16. This means that there is only one German professional in the men’s doubles competition in Frankfurt’s Tim Pütz. The 34-year-old is in the quarter-finals with New Zealand’s Michael Venus after Australia’s Christopher O’Connell/Jason Kubler retired.
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Status: 01/23/2022, 08:10