Alexander Zverev fell to a crushing five-set defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the Australian Open semi-final.
Zverev lost the first two sets, but produced a comeback to take the match to a decider, which was won by Alcaraz 7-5.
The match topped the five hour mark, and featured a Zverev outburst about Alcaraz’s medical timeout after the second set.
Zverev served for the match and looked the favourite to win the tie, but his game plan in the decider has been called into question.
Alexander Zverev told he was passive against Carlos Alcaraz
Zverev might have forced his way back into the match, but his tactics for the final set have been questioned by CoCo Vandeweghe.
While on TNT Sports, the American said: “I think the only thing that was really telling of where Zverev is compared to everyone else is that winner to unforced error count compared to Carlos Alcaraz.
Do you think Alexander Zverev has what it takes to win a Grand Slam?
“Alcaraz won 10+ of winners, so that means that Sascha went and reacted instead of being proactive and that is always going to be a knock on Sascha in those big clutch moments, Can he step up to the plate?
“And that shows again that he wasn’t willing to take the match, he wanted Carlos to give it to him.”
Zverev has often been criticised for letting games pass him by, particularly when he plays the likes of Jannik Sinner and Alcaraz.
Nevertheless, the German showed signs that he might have what it takes to win a Grand Slam in the near future with his Australian Open performances.
Alexander Zverev shares what he was thinking during the fifth set
Zverev looked in control in the fifth set before the stellar comeback from the world number one, and he shared what was rushing through his head as he tried to close out the match.
“I had other thoughts in my mind. You know, basically I didn’t want to fall over in the match,” he said during his press conference.
Rate Carlos Alcaraz’s chances of winning the Australian Open out of 10
Zverev did, however, admit to being wary of Alcaraz due to his incredible record in five-set Grand Slam matches.
“I know that he’s fit, I know that he’s very, very strong and hard to beat in long matches. He’s proven that last year in Paris, I think, as well against Jannik.
“I always feel like on the physical side I’m quite okay as well. Yeah, in the end, of course, I was a bit more tired than him.”
Zverev has now lost more times to Alcaraz than he’s beaten him, as the Spaniard picked up his seventh victory against the German out of the 13 matches they have played.
