Alexander Zverev: 'I'm in the hole now but will overcome tough period'
World no. 3 Alexander Zverev is yet to find the right form in 2019, suffering the seventh loss of the season in the second round of Barcelona, beaten by a lucky loser Nicolas Jarry 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 in two hours and 33 minutes after wasting a match point. Alexander asked for a wild card here in Barcelona after failing to make an impression last week in Monte Carlo and could only add another defeat to his mediocre season so far, winning just 12 out of 19 matches on the Tour. The young German has to defend 1850 points in Munich, Madrid and Rome, which looks like a mission impossible at the moment with the way he has been playing.
Heading to Barcelona with only two wins at the ATP tournaments in 2019, Nicolas got a chance to compete in the main draw as a lucky loser, beating Marcel Granollers in their second match in two days and earning a chance to fight against the player from the very top in the best possible moment, considering the form of the German. Alexander had nine aces and ten double faults, some of those in pivotal moments when the results could have gone to both sides, facing ten break points and giving serve away four times. Jarry won just two points more than his opponent, fending off seven out of 12 break points and saving that match point on serve at 5-6 in the deciding set before prevailing in the tie break.
It wasn't the best possible match we could have got, with more than 100 unforced errors and constant ups and downs on both sides, especially in the decider. The better-ranked player was in the better rhythm in the opener, facing no break points and securing the first break at 2-2 when Jarry sent a forehand long. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, the Chilean netted a backhand to give serve away and hand the set to the German who was on the winning trail in set number two as well after fending off two break points in the opening game.
Nicolas was the stronger player in the closing moments, earning a break at 5-5 with a forced error from Zverev and holding at 15 to seal the set thanks to a volley winner, gathering the momentum before the decider. There, he moved 3-0 up before Alexander bounced back to level the score at 3-3, trading breaks again in games seven and eight to stay neck and neck before the decisive moments. Jarry saved a match point at 5-6 when Zverev sprayed a backhand error and grabbed five straight points in the tie break to overcome a 3-0 deficit and move closer to the finish line. A double fault from the Chilean kept the German alive but it wasn't to be for the three-time Masters 1000 champion, losing the next two points to propel Nicolas over the finish line and stay empty-handed once again in 2019.
"It was a good match in terms of excitement but the level of tennis was shallow, with most of the points I won coming from his unforced errors and with my winners-unforced errors ratio being around -30. I suck right now, nothing else to say. It is not a secret, I just played a bad match, missing a lot of backhands, double faulting, I'm in the hole right now and have to get out of it. I have now lost a few matches on clay which I haven't lost in years but that happens. If you ask Rafa or Roger, they have all been through it, it is all normal and it is how it is at the moment, I will overcome that. I don't plan to change anything in my training regime or on the court, no."
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2IUVhh3
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