Alexander Zverev battled for the Australian Open title in January. He fell to Jannik Sinner in straight sets and experienced another major blow. World no. 2 is yet to recover from it, embracing a poor 6-6 score in his next six tournaments!
Alexander's latest blow came in the Monte Carlo second round against Matteo Berrettini. The German experienced a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 loss in two hours and 28 minutes, hitting the exit door and crushing his world no. 1 dreams.
Zverev opened up about his level in the previous months. He called his game unacceptable and labeled his form as the worst since that severe ankle injury at Roland Garros in 2022.
Berrettini overcame a slow start against Zverev and prevailed in the closing stages of the decider, notching his first top-2 victory. It was a tight battle, with Matteo taking two points more than the top seed. We saw three breaks on each side, and the Italian made the difference with a late one.
They both hit 14 unforced errors more than winners. As he explained, Zverev lost his pace after the opener and sent balls that could not make the damage. The German grabbed a break in the opening game of the match with a backhand winner.
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He provided another at 3-1, extending the advantage and closing the opener with a service winner at 5-2 after 39 minutes. Matteo served well in the second set and kept the pressure on the other side. Berrettini stepped in on the return in the sixth game.
Zverev sprayed a couple of errors to drop serve and fall 4-2 behind. Matteo created a set point at 5-3 and converted it with a forehand winner, introducing a decider after an hour and 20 minutes. The returners had no chances in the opening six games of the final set.
The Italian clinched the sixth game with a forehand winner and earned three break points in the next one. He passed Alexander at the net on the third, providing a break and moving 4-3 in front. Berrettini saved a break point in game eight and extended the gap.
Matteo served for the win at 5-4 and experienced a setback. He netted a forehand and lost serve, keeping his rival in contention. Zverev could not build on that. World no. 2 suffered another break at 5-5 after the rival's slice attack to fall behind.
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Berrettini served for his first top-2 victory at 6-5 and welcomed the rival's mistake, moving over the top and sending the top seed packing.
"I'm barely winning matches, and I'm not satisfied. This is my worst period since that severe injury from three years ago. I played well in the opening set, and then I lost my serve in the second.
Suddenly, I was playing ten times worse, sending slow balls and struggling to move or change directions. I stopped hitting the ball, and that has been the same story for the last couple of months. It's always the same - nothing is changing. My current level is unacceptable," Alexander Zverev said.
