Alexander Zverev was thrown out of the Australian Open in three sets. Tennis legend Boris Becker then analyzed the reasons for the defeat – but also had a question.
Alexander Zverev has to wait for the first Grand Slam title. With a lot of self-confidence from his victories at the Olympic Games and the ATP Finals, he traveled to Melbourne to win the Australian Open. But already in the round of 16 against the Canadian Denis Shapovalov it was over for the number three in the world.
In the Eurosport program “Matchball Becker”, tennis legend Boris Becker analyzed the German’s match. His verdict: “He never found his game, didn’t have the dynamism, didn’t have the aggressiveness. From the start you had the feeling that Shapovalov was always a step faster and more lively.”
One question remains unanswered at Becker
Becker was particularly surprised at Zverev’s lack of energy and strength: “It would be interesting to know how Sascha was doing today. Maybe he had something, maybe the night wasn’t good. Because I haven’t seen him so passively in a long time. You can yes lose, you can also play badly, but you can make an effort and keep your soul on the pitch – and we missed that today.”
A visibly disappointed Alexander Zverev (right) congratulates Denis Shapovalov on the victory. (Source: Shutterstock/imago images)
He fixed the lack of energy at one point: “The indicator is his serve, today only three aces with seven or eight double faults.” Becker continues: “He never asked his opponent, never put pressure on him, he never really accelerated.”
And so the 54-year-old finally came back to his theory: “There was something that we all don’t know yet, why he wasn’t one hundred percent fit. I don’t know.”
Zverev himself had not commented on his defeat at the time and left the court relatively quickly after the match. The Olympic champion has to be patient until he can celebrate his first Grand Slam title. He has his next chance in May at the French Open.
