Alexander Zverev congratulated his opponent fairly, packed his things and left the court with his head hanging down: The tennis Olympic champion was eliminated in the second round of the Australian Open. The 25-year-old lost his match on Thursday against the American Michael Mmoh 7: 6 (7: 1), 4: 6, 3: 6, 2: 6 and thus missed the third round of the Grand Prix for the first time since his debut in 2016. Slam Tournament at Melbourne Park.
Seven and a half months after his serious foot injury in the French Open semifinals, Zverev was far from his top form. Just like his arduous five-set win over Peruvian qualifier Juan Pablo Varillas, he showed an inconsistent performance.
The thigh pinches
After a strong start he lost his rhythm and built up his initially nervous opponent with mistakes. The Australian Open semi-finalist from 2020 didn’t seem up to it physically either, repeatedly touching his rear thigh on the top left. Sometimes he looked towards his box for help.
It is the first time that Zverev has lost to a so-called lucky loser in a Grand Slam tournament. The world number 107. Mmoh, who only got a place in the main draw after the cancellation of another player, meets the American JJ Wolf in the third round, who defeated the Argentinian Diego Schwartzman in three straight sets. “Life is crazy,” said Mmoh, who had already booked his flight back to the US.
Because Mmoh’s first round duel against Frenchman Laurent Lokoli was interrupted due to rain and only ended on Wednesday, Zverev had a day more time to regenerate than his opponent. That’s a “huge advantage,” said Davis Cup captain Michael Kohlmann.
Zverev only appeared fresher and more concentrated than his opponent at the beginning. After a splendid counterattack with the forehand at full speed, Zverev even jerked both arms up and let the audience celebrate him. But Mmoh forced Zverev into the tie-break in the first set. There the German found his rhythm back – only to lose it again.
Zverev acted too defensively in the second set, and self-confidence suffered noticeably. In the third round there was also bad luck with the opponent’s net rollers in important phases. The German number 1 tried to fight back into the match. But he couldn’t turn around.
Meanwhile, doubles player Andreas Mies reached the second round in his first Grand Slam appearance with his new partner John Peers. The two-time French Open winner prevailed alongside the Australian against the Indians Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni 7: 6 (7: 5), 6: 7 (4: 7), 6: 3.
Last November, Mies announced the separation from his long-time successful partner Kevin Krawietz, with whom he won the Grand Slam title in Paris in 2019 and 2020. Krawietz also has a new doubles partner in Tim Pütz, but he is absent in Melbourne because his child is about to be born. Pütz meanwhile competed with Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, the duo lost in the first round.
Siegemund goes on
Meanwhile, Laura Siegemund has reached the third round. The 34-year-old won her match against the number 27 seeded Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu 5: 7, 7: 5, 6: 3. Siegemund made it into the third round of the Grand Slam tournament at Melbourne Park for the first time since her debut in 2016.
The four other German starters had already failed at the opening hurdle. The next opponents waiting for Siegemund are Caroline Garcia from France, who is number four, or Leylah Fernandez from Canada.
Hard fought: Laura Siegemund is in the third round.
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Image: dpa
Siegemund got off to a good start and was a break ahead, but still had to give up the first set. In the equally balanced second round, the Metzingerin kept her nerves this time.
In the third set, she also benefited from an apparent foot injury from her opponent. Due to the wind, conditions were difficult at Melbourne Park’s uncovered 8th pitch.
Ruud fails
Norway’s tennis star Casper Ruud surprisingly failed in the second round. Last year’s finalist of the US Open and French Open was beaten by the American Jenson Brooksby 3: 6, 5: 7, 7: 6 (7: 4), 2: 6 on Thursday. After the top seeded Spaniard Rafael Nadal, who lost in the second round on Wednesday, the number two of the first Grand Slam tournament of the year was eliminated.
Nadal expects six to eight weeks of downtime following his injury. The 36-year-old announced this in a statement on social media on Thursday. The MRI scan revealed second-degree damage to the iliopsoas muscle, the main muscle involved in hip flexion in the groin, in his left leg. Now the time for “sports rest and anti-inflammatory physiotherapy” has come, Nadal wrote.
Immediately after his three-set loss to USA’s Mackenzie McDonald on Wednesday when he injured himself on a long step, Nadal had left his future open. It is “tiring and frustrating” that “a large part” of his career consists of fighting back from injuries. He must avoid a longer break because of the current hip injury, “because if not,” said the 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner, “it will be difficult”.
