Australian Open: Alexander Zverev - The world champion crashes
Alexander Zverev's defeat in the round of 16 of the 2019 Australian Open against Milos Raonic came as a surprise, especially in its clarity.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Jan 21, 2019, 03:24 pm
If you look back later on the Australian Open of 2019, Alexander Zverev should have a visual place of honor for sure. However, he will not appear as a title hero, nor as a fierce fighter who fought for the highest price from Melbourne into the very last Grand Slam phase. Zverev's dubious legacy at this major competition will be a ten-second film clip, a scene full of grim rage, self-loathing, and fox-thirst for destruction.
And you will always know what happened to Zverev on this eighth day of the Grand Slam Festival at the other end of the world, in the round of 16 duel with Canadian baller Milos Raonic - namely devastatingly bad. So bad that Zverev drummed his racket eight times with all his might and fervor on the blue center court floor at the already defeating intermediate result of 1: 6 and 1: 4, until it finally broke.
Zverev even weaker than Kerber
It was a shocking sight to watch on a miserable day. On a day when Zverev managed to look even weaker and duller than previously processed title co-favorite Angelique Kerber. "I had no idea how to play a tennis ball in the field for two sets," Zverev honestly put on record after his by no means scarce 1: 6, 1: 6, 6: 7 (5: 7) departure against Raonic. Anyone who experienced Zverev in the Rod Laver Arena with this humiliation more by himself than by his opponent had to wonder how he had been crowned the world champion of professionals in London's O2 arena two months ago after a final weekend on which he had defeated Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in a row.
Everything that had distinguished him there as a worthy champion was now far away, as far as the air line distance between Britain's capitals and Melbourne: the 21-year-old from Hamburg lacked the strength and confidence to break resistance in a complicated duel the tactical variability and art of improvisation or the guts to stage a really convincing chase again. “There are days when nothing works. It was a miracle that I got into the tie-break in the third set, ”Zverev said later and then expressed his most urgent wish in the acute frustration:" Lay in bed for two days and no longer hear or see tennis. "
Hope as an illusion theater
The wish was understandable after a match that Zverev's cup hopes at a Grand Slam would once again appear as an illusion theater. In any case, the fourth in the world rankings was surprisingly inflexible against a man who played him completely on the wall with modest strategic effort. In short, it was a very good, if not overwhelmingly good serve by the Canadian and a sluggish pace in the rallies that almost drove Zverev to despair - both were fully expected, but the world champion, the leading figure of the new tennis generation so far, seemed frozen unable to find any antidote. "He plays so bad. He wouldn't even have made it through the first round of qualification, ”commentator guru John McEnroe rumbled on Australian television.
No love relationship yet
The glaring fit of weakness, like Kerber, came from nowhere. Zverev had survived the first week of the tournament relatively unscathed, he had hardly wasted any unnecessary energy, his crash had nothing to do with a lack of strength. Rather with the inner cramp, the massive self-claim to finally want to and must make the breakthrough in one of the precious major competitions. Tennis in a two-week marathon at Grand Slam level is also and especially a matter of the head, a lot of what happens does not necessarily have to do with rationality.
How else could it be explained that the strong server Zverev, the man who had recently popped Federer and Djokovic's aces at will, now needed 47 minutes to get his service against Raonic for the first time. "Zverev and the Grand Slams - it is still anything but a love affair," said former world leader Mats Wilander.
Zverev has to wait for the big Grand Slam moment. For games that he wins in the crucial phase of a major on bending and breaking. To a tournament in which he passed all complex tests for two weeks, with freezing cold and passion at the same time. Zverev still has time, even a lot of time. He just has to give it to himself.