Alexander Zverev reprimands, infuriates, and hurls racket handles.
Tennis ace Alexander Zverev clinches the second round at the Masters in Shanghai, battling health concerns. The German number one, hailing from Hamburg, successfully defeated underdog Tallon Griekspoor from the Netherlands 7-6 (8-6), 2-6, 7-6 (7-5). The event, offering a hefty prize pool of around 10.3 million dollars, saw an emotionally charged Zverev arguing with the chair umpire.
Moving forward, Zverev, currently ranked third globally, will take on David Goffin from Belgium in the round of 16. In Berlin, Zverev had reported fever and cough, leading to a week-long illness break due to a lung infection before the tournament commenced.
The onset of the match against Griekspoor was challenging for Zverev, with tension bubbling from the get-go. Towards the end of the first set, Zverev let loose, pointing an angry finger at the chair umpire, Mohamed Lahyani, despite the umpire's correct call. Yelling, "You're deciding the whole match! What are we spending so much for, for nine months?", Zverev then angered the crowd by throwing his racket, cooling down slowly and narrowly escaping a penalty. He had already been cautioned earlier for overstepping the time limit.
Despite this explosive start, Zverev also showed dissatisfaction during his previous match against Italian Mattia Bellucci, challenging the calls. However, against Griekspoor, Zverev finally reclaimed his composure, clinching the first set in a tiebreak after 67 minutes and celebrating victoriously despite the late hour.
Still, Zverev appeared drained for the second set, surrendering it to Griekspoor in just over half an hour. In the deciding set, the match went back and forth, with both players missing match points respectively. However, Zverev displayed grit and secured the win with a successful eighth match point after 2 hours and 48 minutes.
After securing his victory in the second round, Alexander Zverev prepares to face David Goffin in the round of 16 in Shanghai. Despite his success in Shanghai, this city isn't new to Zverev's tennis journey; earlier in his career, he participated in the ATP Shanghai Masters 1000 tournaments.
To expand upon Zverev's international tennis career, he has also showcased his skills in various prestigious competitions held in places like Paris, London, and New York, always representing his home country, Germany, with pride.
