Zverev lucid after his early exit at Indian Wells: "I'm not playing very good tennis at the moment"
A thunderclap at Indian Wells! World number 2 and top seed in California in the absence of Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev was defeated in his opening match, in the second round, against Tallon Griekspoor (4-6, 7-6, 7-6) after a battle lasting over 3 hours and despite the German saving five match points.
The match saw many twists and turns, as Zverev served for the match in the second set at 6-5, then it was Griekspoor who missed his chance in the same situation in the third set.
Ultimately, the Dutchman was the most solid on the crucial points and secured one of the finest victories of his career.
At the press conference, a disheartened Zverev faced the journalists to explain his defeat. Already beaten in the quarterfinals in Buenos Aires by Cerundolo and in Rio by Comesaña, Zverev, who had hoped to become world number 1 in the coming months, sees this goal slipping away week by week. According to him, there are no excuses to be found.
"I always have problems when I play against him. He's a tricky player for me, even though I've beaten him several times, but many of those matches have been very tight. Today, he played a great match, there's no doubt about that.
But I have to look at what I did, and I'm far from where I want to be. I can't sit here and make excuses, after all, because I'm not playing very good tennis at the moment.
It's as simple as that. I'm not playing at the level I want to be at, my level isn't as high as it was in Australia. I'm simply disappointed with my game. I need to find my best form again before thinking about being ranked higher, because to become world number one, you have to win tournaments.
For now, I haven't made it past the first or second round in recent weeks. I'm still working, but for now, it's not working. I need to find a way to turn things around," assured the German, according to comments collected by Punto De Break.
Indian Wells