Alexander Zverev reacts to Jannik Sinner loss at | Sports News

Alexander Zverev skilled his third loss to Jannik Sinner in much less than a month after falling to the Italian during the group stage of the ATP Finals. The defending champion saved all seven break level alternatives he confronted to secure a 6-4 6-3 win and guarantee his place within the semi-finals.

Despite being unable to capitalize on his break level possibilities, the German maintained that the competition was more aggressive than the scoreline steered. Speaking at his post-match press convention, the two-time former ATP Finals champion remarked: “Don’t always judge it by the score.” Elsewhere at the ATP Finals, Sinner made emotions his clear on Zverev ‘disrespect’ and Zverev issued a health replace after his defeat to Sinner sparked concern

Sinner delivered distinctive serves every time he confronted a break level towards Zverev in Turin, and the world No. 3 believed that was the first distinction in contrast to their current Vienna Open last, the place Sinner rallied from a set down to win 3-6 6-3 7-5. 

“Yeah, I think generally today the match, the biggest difference was how he was serving on the break points. I had more break points than him. I felt very good from the baseline, actually better than in Vienna almost, when we were in the rally,” Zverev mentioned.

“To be honest, he had two chances to break me, and he used both of them. I had a lot of chances, and I didn’t use any. The score was 6-4, 6-3, but in my opinion, my humble opinion, I felt like the match was closer than the score maybe says.

“I believed it was a very high-level match. I believed particularly from the baseline we performed very nicely.

“This is how it is sometimes. Sometimes when he’s having a day like this where he’s serving unbelievable… His biggest strength is of course how he plays from the baseline, how he moves, how he hits forehands, how he hits backhands.

“Sometimes when he is serving like this, it is even more tough as a result of, as you mentioned, seven break factors, seven first serves, not one second serve I had. I used to be not even within the rally at all. I feel I made one return. He hit a forehand winner. So yeah, it is tough like this.

“But of course, he improved his serve a lot. All in all, from the baseline, how the game was, I thought it was a good match, which maybe was closer than the score says.”

Zverev has discovered it difficult to bridge the divide with Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz in current seasons. Currently sitting at No. 3 globally, he trails second-placed Sinner by over 5,000 factors.

When questioned about narrowing the hole with the Italian star, he emphasised that the competition was more aggressive than the scoreline steered.

He continued: “Look, of course I think it’s quite easy for you guys to ask these questions because the score says 6-4, 6-3.

“If you look deeper into the match, I actually imagine that it might have been more than 6-4, 6-3, so… Don’t all the time decide it by the rating.”

Zverev will meet Felix Auger-Aliassime on Friday of their last round-robin encounter of the week. The victor may also progress to the knockout semi-finals.