Alexander Zverev destroys racket during loss
MELBOURNE — How many times do you have to smash a racket for it to be pulverized into an unusable clump of composite material and string?
If you’re fourth seed Alexander Zverev the answer would be nine.
The 21-year-old German, behind 6-1, 4-1 to 16th seed Milos Raonic of Canada and having just lost his serve, sat down on his courtside bench and started to beat his racket into smithereens.
“It made me feel better,” Zverev said. “I was very angry, so I let my anger out.”
Zverev’s consulting coach, Ivan Lendl, was poker-faced in his box watching the racket destruction, but it was easy to surmise he wasn’t amused by the performance.
Lendl knew Zverev’s father, Alexander Sr. – they grew up in tennis together – and he came on board the team just prior to the 2018 US Open to assist in making the most of the German’s talent.
Two games after the racket destruction, the 17th-ranked Raonic was enjoying a two-set lead in less than an hour, which he would convert into a 6-1, 6-1, 7-6 (5) path to the Australian Open quarterfinals. It took four match points, but a beautifully executed forehand cross-court volley polished off Zverev.
For Raonic, who has had an injury-plagued career, the match started poorly in his losing his first serve game, but he pulled it together from there.
“It’s hard to start regretting things in the first game,” Raonic said. “I did a lot of things well today and I’m incredibly proud.”
Zverev, frequently referred to as one of the top contenders for a future Grand Slam trophy, still shows an immaturity in his approach to the game. He often struggles with his on-court composure, most notably at the majors.
He’s only journeyed to a Grand Slam quarterfinal once, at the 2018 French Open, and has yet to have a Grand Slam match victory over a top 20-ranked opponent.
“This is one of many tournaments,” Zverev said. “Actually I want to be the best, but, yeah, not this week.”
Zverev’s best career result thus far was winning the ATP Finals in London last year, defeating Roger Federer in the semifinals and Novak Djokovic in the finals. He won three additional titles in 2018.Raonic’s best Grand Slam result was playing in the 2016 Wimbledon final, becoming the first Canadian man to reach a major final. His best Australian Open result was journeying to the semifinals in 2016. In both of these two best Grand Slam outings he lost to Andy Murray.
Raonic will play the winner of the fourth-round match between 11th-seeded Borna Coric of Croatia and 28th-seeded Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
