Frustration in the oasis of wellbeing: Zverev continues to search for shape
Alexander Zverev is still looking for his form two weeks before the start of the US Open. In Montreal was the final stage in the quarterfinals, the Hamburg player is fighting against well-known weaknesses.
by SID
last edit: Aug 10, 2019, 12:55 pm
As soon as Alexander Zverev no longer felt comfortable in his former oasis of wellbeing, his racket had to believe it. The first set against Karen Khachanov was not even lost when the German young star chucked his racquet into the field with full force. And because the frustration with one of his many double mistakes had not yet evaporated, he gave the rest to his battered racket with his foot.
The outburst of rage in the quarterfinals at the Masters in Montreal clearly showed that things are just not going as planned. After just 74 minutes it was 3: 6, 3: 6 against the Russian Khachanov, who like Zverev belongs to the "NextGen", the group of stars. In the here and now, however, Zverev has to struggle properly, as his appearances in the Canadian metropolis made clear.
This was not hidden from his opponent. "I don't think he played his best tennis, of course," he said: "If you don't hit and lose the balls properly, you're never happy. It's not about who you play against. It's about how you play playing. "
And that is exactly the problem with the native of Hamburg, the "how" currently does not match the claim. As in previous weeks, Zverev made too many double mistakes against Khachanov. If he afforded 14 in the round of 16 against Georgians Nikoloz Basilashvili, there were only eight against the Russians. But still far too many for the caliber of a Zverev.
Zverev: Too many side war sites in 2019
Up until then, Montreal was actually a good place for the 22-year-old. He had never lost a game there before, in 2017 he won the title at the tournament alternating with Toronto. After seven victories in a row, the love affair with the hard court tournament ended painfully.
However, Zverev's fights were too often played off the pitch anyway. Be it the smoldering legal dispute with his ex-manager Patricio Apey or the separation from coach Ivan Lendl, which was accompanied by a lot of noise. The side war scenes still burdened him, Zverev admitted after his victory over Basilashvili.
The next chance to get in shape for the US Open, which starts in two weeks, will be offered by Zverev from Monday at the Masters in Cincinnati - even if the signs are completely opposite to those in Montreal. He has never won a podium at the prestigious and top-class tournament in Ohio, he has failed at the start hurdle in the past four years.
In Cincinnati, the spotlight will be on others anyway, especially Andy Murray . Seven months after his hip surgery, which had made him fear the end of his career, the two-time Olympic champion is making his comeback in singles. A win at the start over Richard Gasquet would already be a success - at Zverev it should be a little bit more for well-being.