“Weird Results”: Alexander Zverev Cites Dominic Thiem’s Loss to Justify Tough Loss

Alexander Zverev is not taking his loss in the first match since returning too seriously. Zverev said that he understands it is difficult to return after so long. He cited the example of fellow top-10 player Dominic Thiem‘s loss in the first match, to prove his point.

Zverev said he has accepted that there will be some ‘weird results’ as this is a fresh start after such a long break for the players. “I think it was not the best match I have ever played, but after six months off, it’s not easy to come back,” Alexander Zverev said after his three-set loss to Andy Murray at the Western and Southern Open.

Stressing on the point, he added, “And I have said this. I mean, I just watched Dominic Thiem lose to Krajinovic 6-2, 6-1. It’s the first match back, and I think there is going to be some weird results.”

Alexander Zverev fights hard against Andy Murray

Zverev’s performance against Murray was not one he will want to forget, unlike Thiem’s against Filip Krajinovic. Zverev fought hard after losing the first set. He won the second set with a strong show. Zverev then served for the match at 5-4 in the deciding set, but just lost his way to a better opponent on the day. Zverev was seed fifth at the event.

A couple of other upsets in the ATP draw so far are the losses of Denis Shapovalov and 2017 champion Grigor Dimitrov.

Not much time to recover

It was Zverev’s first tour-level match since February when he played the Acapulco Open. The German player had a rocky few months during the break. He was part of the ill-fated Adria Tour which saw a few players test positive for coronavirus. Zverev survived the scare but was criticized for ignoring quarantine protocols in the aftermath of the event. He then also played a few matches at the Ultimate Tennis Showdown.

He has now put all of that behind him and is focusing on his game. The top players do not have much time to adjust to the new situation and to find their game again, with the US Open less than a week away. He goes in as a top contender for the title.

Also read – “Horrible Game” – Dominic Thiem Unhappy With Error-Strewn Display During Shock Defeat