Alexander Zverev slips badly even when restarting on sand
Frustration instead of joy: Alexander Zverev had imagined a completely different start in the "Pearl of the South". After his unsuccessful start to the season, Germany's best tennis player wanted to gain new confidence on the red surface at the ATP tournament in Marrakech. But the 6: 7, 6: 2, 3: 6 against the Spaniard Jaume Munar probably increased the doubts about the Hamburg.
by SID
last edit: Apr 12, 2019, 12:57 pm
Zverev did not want to comment after the knockout, disappointed he left the facility after his decisive loss of service (to zero). Tsar Alexander and the Moroccan royal city - that somehow didn't fit. Like so much this year with the German hopefuls.
Marrakech was to bring about a turnaround, Zverev had especially preferred to start the clay court season. He wanted to slowly get up on the small stage again after falling several times in 2019. The match against the world rankings-60. Munar became a case study. Of his five losses this year, he lost four to players over 50 in the ranking.
"The year just wasn't yet. I absolutely need my training sessions and match practice now," Zverev had recently told tennis magazine after his early failure at the Miami Masters. He then worked on his shape for two weeks in the adopted home of Monte Carlo.
When he asked the organizers in Marrakech for a wildcard, he was thankfully given it. After all, they were happy to be able to present the number three in the world to the fans. And it started off well at first. Zverev prevailed against Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-4 and chatted happily after his first win of the season on sand: "I trained well, the atmosphere is great, the fans too. I am happy that I won . " The end followed two days later.
Zverev: Now Monte Carlo, then Munich
Zverev's next appearance is at the Masters in Monte Carlo (from April 13th), then to Munich (from April 28th). The pressure is growing. Because on clay, Zverev has many points to defend. In 2018 he reached the semi-finals in Monte Carlo, won Munich and Madrid (Masters), was in the final of Rome (Masters). He then moved on to the quarter-finals at the French Open - he was never better at one of the four Grand Slams.
Similar exploits seem out of reach at the moment. His previous annual record is rather poor: Round of 16 knockout at the Australian Open, a final defeat in Acapulco / Mexico, each failed early in Indian Wells (3rd round) and Miami (2nd round). And now Marrakech.
There were also accompanying circumstances that are not likely to promote performance. After the shape curve in Acapulco had finally risen, Zverev caught an infection before the Masters in Indian Wells. Training was out of the question, Zverev reported to the tennis magazine, that he had lost six kilos in nine days. In addition, there is the legal dispute over the separation from his previous manager Patricio Apey.