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Alexander Zverev in Turin
Photo:
MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
After a nerve-wracking crime thriller, Alexander Zverev, disappointed, pulled the headband off his head and congratulated Daniil Medvedev - again.
Again the fearful opponent showed the Olympic champion the limits.
After the 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 3), 6: 7 (6: 8) against the defending champion, Zverev has to tremble for the semi-finals at the ATP Finals in Turin.
It was his fifth loss in a row against the US Open champion from Russia.
Before the final third group match against the Polish debutant Hubert Hurkacz on Thursday, Zverev is under tremendous pressure not to miss the knockout round at the season finale of the eight best of the year.
The 2018 title holder won his opening game after Italian Matteo Berrettini's injury-related surrender.
“This is a match to be remembered.
It was unbelievable, "said Medvedev." On the last point, I just knocked everything out.
That's tennis - sometimes you're lucky, sometimes not. ”Even before the last rally, the spectators had given both players an ovation.
Hardly any ideas against the Russian »ball wall«
In the past few years, Medvedev had become a real fear opponent of Zverev.
The last victory of the German number one was almost exactly two years ago, only ten days before the clash in Turin the flat-looking Zverev had no chance against the hard court specialist in the semifinals of the Masters in Paris at 2: 6, 2: 6.
That's why Zverev was burning to take revenge.
"I won't be so tired, I hope this starts," he said.
In Turin, the world number three appeared physically fresher, but initially inhibited.
With the serve, the 24-year-old could not cause any damage at the beginning of the game, instead conceded a break straight away.
Although Zverev also had chances with the service of the Russian, as he did against Berrettini, he was too careless with them.
There is also a lack of ideas and means against the »ball wall« Medvedev.
Zverev often acted too passively and did not manage to put the Russian under pressure from his position behind the baseline.
The defending champion's game was significantly more variable with some strong net attacks and stops.
The world number two built the rallies strategically clever, waited for his chances and then grabbed ice cold.
In addition, Zverev began with an unusually restrained body language.
Only when he fended off a breakball from Medvedev at the start of the second set did he shout a loud "Come on" and animated the fans in the Pala Alpitour shortly after the game he had won.
Zverev braced himself against the impending defeat with the support of the audience and used the momentum in the tie-break after a controversial foot error by his opponent.
Medvedev was unimpressed despite the loss of the set, both servers showed no decisive weakness.
Again the tie-break had to serve - now with the worse end for Zverev, even if he defended two match points.
ara / sid
