Zverev is suffering badly and is out of the Olympics.
The Dream of Retaining the Title is Burst: German Tennis Ace Alexander Zverev Falters in the Quarterfinals of the Olympic Tournament. Once Again, the Heat in Paris Causes Him Trouble. His Opponent, Italian Lorenzo Musetti, Handles It Much Better and Wins in Two Sets.
Alexander Zverev gave a half-hearted wave to the audience with a bitter expression and disappeared quickly into the catacombs of the Court Suzanne Lenglen. The dream of a second gold for the Tokyo Olympics champion has already burst in the quarterfinals of Paris. A day after Angelique Kerber's dramatic exit, it is clear: The German tennis team will be without a medal for the first time since 2012.
Against Italian Wimbledon semifinalist Lorenzo Musetti, Zverev lost on the second-largest court of the venue 5:7, 5:7. The native Hamburger, who started with some anger, didn't have his best day, but also couldn't find a way against Musetti's boundless playing joy - or his own emotions.
Zverev Struggles, Musetti Enchants
Less than 18 hours after the end of his round-of-16 duel with Australian Alexei Popyrin, Zverev, who carried the German hopes after Kerber's exit the day before, had to play again and was quite annoyed. "I'm so angry, I can't even tell you. The scheduling is a disgrace," Zverev told the "Bild" newspaper. At least his sponsor delivered the light-colored shirts he requested, allowing him to play in a white shirt and black pants. In the all-black outfit, he had suffered greatly in the heat duel against Czech Tomas Machac the day before and cursed his outfit.
Half in white and still somewhat grumpy, Zverev didn't start the game well, as he had against Popyrin, giving away his serve early in the first set, arguing with the referee, and only finding his rhythm late. But like against the Australian, Zverev managed to break back to 5:5. However, this time, the German number one immediately lost his serve again. And because Musetti was enchanting, the first set was lost after 62 minutes - it was Zverev's first set loss in the fourth match.
Musetti played fascinatingly at times, interspersing fantastic stops and incredible backhand shots. Zverev played like Zverev: straightforward, with a lot of pressure, but less varied. That's enough against most opponents, on his best days against (almost) everyone - but this time it was not enough. Even though he seemed physically on par.
Zverev's mood improved in the second set, and in a break, he fanned himself with a fan from a spectator. "Hang in there, kid!" a spectator shouted towards Zverev. He gave a thumbs-up - but after 2:04 hours, his Olympic 2024 journey was finally over.
Zverev's hopes for a repeat gold at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris took a hit, following his quarterfinal loss. Despite the sweltering heat, his Italian opponent, Musetti, handled it better and seized the opportunity to advance.
With his defeat, the German tennis team faces the possibility of missing out on a medal at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2012, potentially impacting the team's performance at the upcoming 2024 Olympics in Paris.
