Alexander Zverev has bowed out of the Australian Open after suffering a narrow semifinal loss to Carlos Alcaraz.
Alcaraz always had belief against Zverev, despite experiencing cramps during the five-hour, 27-minute epic in Melbourne.
It represents the longest Australian Open semifinal ever, which may give the Spaniard a fitness concern ahead of his first Melbourne final.
For now, however, Alcaraz will be delighted to have overcome such a tough test, while Zverev will be left with feelings of frustration and disappointment.
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Alexander Zverev must accept Grand Slam title chances are gone
It isn’t the first time the German will have such feelings after a Grand Slam loss, with Zverev well-versed in heartbreak at the highest level.
The ATP number three has reached three Grand Slam finals during his career, and has remarkably lost all three.
He just had a fantastic chance to reach another at the Australian Open, having had so many opportunities to punish a struggling Alcaraz.
But Zverev failed time and again to close out against his cramping opponent, which suggests that his chances of winning a maiden Grand Slam title are now behind him.
Of course, nothing can be ruled out in tennis or sport in general, as Alcaraz has ironically just proven against Zverev.
But at 28 years old the German isn’t getting any younger, and his shortcomings against the injury-hit Spaniard speak volumes.
Moreover, and perhaps more significantly than those shortcomings, Alcaraz and Sinner do not look like slowing down anytime soon.
That means that their likely continued Grand Slam dominance is a major stumbling block for any player chasing success, not just Zverev.
Even if the German does reach another final, which is a strong possibility, there is every chance that he falls at the very last hurdle once more, particularly if either Alcaraz or Sinner are on the other side of the net.
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Alexander Zverev deserves praise for upbeat attitude despite loss
While Zverev will undoubtedly analyse what he could have done differently, he is already doing his utmost to move on.
He referenced the latter post-match, when he also accepted that there was nothing more he could have done against Alcaraz.
Zverev said: “Unbelievable fight, battle. Unfortunate ending for me, but to be honest, I had absolutely nothing left in me.
“Even at 5-4, you know normally I can rely on my serve a bit more. My legs stopped pushing upward, so yeah, that’s the way it is. This is life. We move on.”
It’s certainly an admirable attitude, particularly so close after such an intense battle with extremely high stakes.
There are, of course, more important matters to be concerned with, and Zverev deserves credit for that approach.
He also deserves praise for his honest assessment of the clash, and indeed for helping produce the obvious match of the Australian Open so far.
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