PressSplit
Alexander Zverev also failed in the Olympic quarter-finals – a medal for the German Tennis Association was not forthcoming. The Hamburg native lost to Lorenzo Musetti.
- Tennis, Olympic quarter-finals: Alexander Zverev (GER) – Lorenzo Musetti (ITA) | 5:7, 5:7
- Lorenzo Musetti and the heat were stronger: Alexander Zverev missed his second Olympic medal.
Paris – double Olympic champion? A title that Alexander Zverev would certainly like. And he is not that far away from it. A victory in the Olympia-The quarter-finals are still missing, then the German number one has already secured a match for a medal.
In the round of the last eight, Zverev will face Italian Wimbledon semi-finalist Lorenzo Musetti (Here the match is on TV and stream) definitely needs to improve his performance. And that is especially true for the semifinals – there he will face Novak Djokovic in a repeat of Tokyo 2021.
Alexander Zverev fights against Lorenzo Musetti and the heat in the Olympic quarterfinals. © IMAGO/Goal Sports Images
Zverev furious before Olympic quarter-final against Musetti: “An impertinence”
Before that, however, Zverev let off steam once again: The German complained about the scheduling of the quarter-final against Musetti. “I’m so pissed off, I can’t even tell you. The scheduling is a disgrace,” he raged in an interview with the Bild.
The reason for his frustration: Zverev only finished his match against Alexei Popyrin at 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday – and has to play again at 2:30 p.m. the following day. His opponent Musetti has seven hours more rest. So Zverev cannot be fully recovered, and the expected heat does the rest.
Alexander Zverev is not happy about the scheduling of his Olympic quarter-finals. © IMAGO/Olaf Rellisch
Next Olympic medal? All German tennis hopes rest on Zverev
Zverev is the last German hope after Angelique Kerber’s elimination. Dominik Koepfer had previously had to admit defeat to Grand Slam record champion Djokovic from Serbia 5:7, 3:6 despite a courageous performance. The two doubles pairs Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz and Jan-Lennard Struff/Koepfer were also eliminated on Wednesday.
One day after his successful battle against the Czech Tomas Machac, Zverev initially appeared a little shaky in more pleasant conditions on the covered Court Suzanne Lenglen in the evening. Round of 16 opponent Popyrin managed an early break to make it 2-1, which Zverev was chasing for a long time and had to fend off a set point. In the end he turned the set around, reacted very emotionally afterwards – and things went much more smoothly in the second set.
Zverev honors Kerber after her retirement at the Olympics
Now all hopes rest on Zverev. Angelique Kerber was eliminated after an outstanding combative performance against the Chinese Zheng Qinwen; the defeat meant the end of her career.
Zverev hailed Kerber as the “second best German tennis player of all time”. The Hamburg native tipped his hat to the Kiel native’s career. “What she has achieved is incredible. She has shown once again what a top player and top fighter she is.” (epp/SID)
