Alexander Zverev stunned after round of 16 knockout against Holger Rune: “My worst match in six years”

Tobias Laure reports from the ATP tournament in Munich

“I’m sorry.” With these words, Alexander Zverev said goodbye to the journalists in Munich. The defeat against 18-year-old Holger Rune had hit the Olympic champion deeply – especially since it was not to be expected.

“I had no symptoms. A little cold, but that had nothing to do with performance,” assured Zverev at the request of Eurosport.de.

Rather, he was “very nervous” before his first match in Germany with an audience for a long time. “I can hardly speak now either. I feel sorry for the fans and the tournament.”

The third in the world rankings also found clear words when evaluating his playful performance. “I played without a forehand today. A performance like today’s isn’t enough even in a tournament in the 250 category.”

Zverev disillusioned: “Anyone who finds excuses today…”

“There are no excuses. Anyone who finds excuses today is not the smartest person,” Zverev did not accept any mitigating circumstances for his weak performance.

How to proceed now? “I will fly to Madrid sometime in the coming days,” said Zverev. A Masters tournament will start there next week. In fact, it can only get better…

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