"Tennis: A Popular Athletic Activity" - Zverev fails to advance past the round of 16 in Madrid; Struff just edges out.
Tennis player Alexander Zverev's third Masters win at the Madrid tournament was cut short early on. The Olympic champ, nearly three years ago, fainted after facing off against Argentine Francisco Cerundolo, ending in a score of 3:6, 4:6.
A favorite for the main prize, Zverev had claimed the clay court title in Madrid twice - first in 2018 and then again in 2021. He had even reached the quarters in Madrid on five occasions already. Despite a strong performance, Jan-Lennard Struff narrowly missed out on a massive upset against Carlos Alcaraz, losing 3:6, 7:6 (7:5), 6:7 (4:7).
Zverev, the tenth-ranked player in the world, was left with mixed emotions as he spoke after the game on Sky, "I feel disappointed because I enjoy coming to Madrid, and I believe I could have won here." Despite having kicked off the match well and displaying great confidence with his service, the 27-year-old admits he had no idea why he lost this match: "The game is hard to understand when I have the ball in my racket, and yet, I still lose 3:6, 4:6."
Lack of diversity in the game
Cerundolo's tactically disciplined game didn't allow Zverev to unleash his potential through lack of dynamic variations. With two breaks to his name, Cerundolo booked a place in the quarter-finals, defeating Zverev in just an hour and a half. Up next for Cerundolo is Taylor Fritz from the USA.
Zverev has experienced three out of his seven defeats in the clay court season this year. Before the French Open in Paris, which starts May 26, Zverev will have to boost his form quickly.
Despite an excellent performance, Struff was edged out by world number three Alcaraz in the round of 16 duel. With a single break in the second set, the 34-year-old came back to win the second set in a tiebreak. However, Alcaraz got the better of it in the third set, showcasing his unwavering nerve as the game continued for 2 hours and 50 minutes.
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Source: www.stern.de
