The fact that Zverev left the field as a loser was the most dramatic thing on this warm summer evening in Victoria. Because he didn’t have to lose this game. The 28-year-old, third in the world rankings, conjured up magnificent, almost incomprehensible winning strokes on the pitch. And also made inexplicable mistakes. In the end there were too many of them.
In the crucial phases, the German also acted too hesitantly. The German said at the press conference after the game that he regretted not having steered the game in his direction early on. “The second set,” he said, “I should have won that, especially since I was also serving.”
What enormous opportunities he left unused throughout the entire match. Not just in the second sentence. He was already 5-2 in the lead – and still gave it away. He was ahead 5-3 in the fifth set – and kept letting Alcaraz come close. He admitted at the press conference that he was probably too cautious in some situations and didn’t play aggressively enough. Just wondering why?
It was almost as if Zverev wanted to subject himself and the part of the audience who sympathized with him to a sadistic pleasure treatment. Many spectators’ hearts stopped more than once and Zverev was also completely exhausted afterwards. “I had absolutely nothing left in the tank,” he admitted in the press conference afterwards. “I don’t have any emotions anymore, I’m just exhausted.” In the end Alcaraz deservedly won 6:4, 7:6, 6.7, 6.7, 7:5.
“How on earth did you win this match?” Courier asked the 22-year-old on the pitch. “You have to believe in yourself, that’s all. I never thought that I could lose this game.” The crucial difference couldn’t have been stated better. Two great athletes faced each other this afternoon in Melbourne. One believed in himself more.
