Alexander Zverev is annoyed at his own form.
Alexander Zverev has slammed his own performances and told himself he needs to get a grip on his form. The German crashed out of the Miami Open this week despite being a break up in the deciding set against Arthur Fils.
Zverev confessed that he has lost too many matches when he has felt in control against his opponent. The defeat against Fils in the last-16 continued a grim run for the world No. 2. He was dumped out of Indian Wells by Tallon Griekspoor despite serving for the match in the deciding set, and relinquishing a 4-1 lead in the third set against Francisco Comesana at the Rio Open. The 27-year-old is desperate to get better at killing off matches.
I have been losing a lot of matches where I feel like I am in control lately,” Zverev bemoaned. “It was that again, so I have to look at myself more than anything else.
“I definitely played better here than the last two weeks. But I am up a break in the third, there is no reason for me to lose that match and I go on to lose four games in a row.
In Indian Wells I am serving for the match. In Rio I was up 4-1 in the third and then in Buenos Aires I was up a set and a break. I am losing a lot of matches from winning positions right now and I need to change that.”
Zverev might have fancied his chances in the latter rounds of the tournament had he successfully navigated his match against Fils. Frenchman Fils went on to lose his quarter-final against the impressive 19-year-old Jakub Mensik.
Taylor Fritz was seen off by Mensik in their semi-final and the Czech teenager will face Novak Djokovic in today’s final. Zverev would have seen a match against the Serb as a rare opportunity to claim a victory over the tennis great, who can claim his 100th career title if he beats Mensik.
Zverev will go back to the practice courts as he bids to finally land his first-ever Grand Slam title. He has reached three finals in major tournaments and was beaten by Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open showdown earlier this year.
The world No. 2 is also a runner-up in the French Open and US Open. His best finish at Wimbledon is the fourth round.