Alexander Zverev he has already advanced to the second week at the ninth Big Four, but he still doesn’t have a grand slam title and will continue to wait for it. He will not win one of the most valuable tennis trophies at this year’s Novak Djokovic Case'”>Australian Open.
The 24-year-old German dominated last year’s Olympics, two Masters events and, for the second time in his career, the Champions Tournament. He was one of the biggest favorites in Melbourne Park this year, and his chances increased after the deportation of world number one Novak Djokovic. As at the US Open 2020 (he did not finish in the finals with Dominic Thiem and Djokovic was disqualified in the round of 16), however, he did not take advantage of the Serb’s absence.
The native of Hamburg advanced to the round of 16 without losing the set, but today he himself did not win a single set after a poor performance full of unforced errors. With six matches undefeated Denisem Shapovalovem fell surprisingly easily 3-6 6-7 (5) 3-6. He had only a chance of a reversal in the second act, in which he eliminated the shortfall and could deliver it.
With today’s defeat, Zverev only confirmed that he regularly fails against the best at the biggest tennis events. With the Top 20 players, he worsened his grand slam balance to 4-15 today, and the Top 10 has never beaten the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon or the US Open. “Since the beginning of the match, his body was not tense, he lacked aggression and his game lacked the usual dynamics,” his compatriot Boris Becker said on Eurosport television.
The 22-year-old Shapovalov has improved his Melbourne maximum for the second time and will play with Rafael Nadal for the second grand slam semifinal of his career. “It’s always an honor to fight Raf. It will be a battle,” Shapovalov said.
Chance Rafaela Nadala to the second triumph at the Australian Open and the record 21st Grand Slam laurel is growing every day. After the expulsion of Djokovic, Yannick Hanfmann removed the dangerous Thanasi Kokkinakis, his opponent today. Adrian Mannarino again eliminated last year’s semifinalist Aslan Karacev and Shapovalov took care of Zverev.
The 35-year-old Spaniard, who controlled the general in Melbourne Park, had trouble with Mannarin only in the opening act, but huge. He didn’t get to a single breakball and in a marathon tie-break (16-14, lasted 28 minutes and 40 seconds) he deflected four sets, while Mannarino dropped one of his own sets at the net and sent the favorite to the lead with another kick. In the following two sets, the Frenchman dropped out mentally and physically (7-6 6-2 6-2).
“The first set was very tense and anything could happen in it. In the end I was a little lucky because he had a lot of chances. I was relieved to get that set, without a doubt,” Nadal said.
Nadal has a positive balance with Shapovalov 3-1. However, he lost the only battle on outdoor concrete and turned away the swordfish last year on clay in Rome. He is in the Australian Open quarterfinals for the sixth time in a row and it is at this stage that he is the least successful (6-7) and has failed in the last two starts.
That tiebreak-winning celebration though @RafaelNadal | #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/Ah7QvreSKU
– Davis Cup (@DavisCup) January 23, 2022
The second quarterfinals in the upper half of the spider are provided by the winners of the Kecmanovič – Monfils and Carreno – Berrettini.
| • Singles – Round of 16 • |
| Shapovalov (14-CAN) – Zverev (3-DEU) 6-3 7-6 (5) 6-3 |
| Nadal (6-Sp.) – Mannarino (Fr.) 7-6 (14) 6-2 6-2 |
