Enlarge image

Alexander Zverev was frustrated with his performance again and again

Photo: Michel Euler / AP

Tennis pro Alexander Zverev was eliminated in the round of 1000 at the Masters 6 tournament in Paris-Bercy. The Olympic champion lost his third-round match on Thursday against world number six Stefanos Tsitsipas 7: 2 (7: 4), 6: 13 and thus missed important points in the fight for participation in the ATP Finals in Turin in mid-November. For Zverev, it was already the 15th defeat in the <>th match against a top ten player this year.

Nevertheless, Zverev still has a good chance of being at the finals in Turin (November 13 to 20). In addition to Zverev, Holger Rune and Hubert Hurkacz (Poland) and Alex De Minaur (Australia), who have already qualified for the quarterfinals in Paris, are also fighting for participation. Tsitsipas has secured the Turin starting spot after the victory. Previously, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev, Jannik Sinner and Andrey Rublev had already qualified. The best eight professionals of the year qualify for the prestigious finals. Last year, the tournament winner received 2,200,400 US dollars (about two million euros).

Against the two-time Grand Slam finalist Tsitsipas, who is apparently overcoming his weaker phase more and more, Zverev's record remains modest. Four wins against nine defeats.

Zverev could get German shooting help

One day after his three-and-a-half-hour match against Frenchman Ugo Humbert, Zverev did not get off to a good start. He gave up his first service game and had problems with his forehand again and again. With a won break to 4: 5, the German saved himself in the tiebreak, which Tsitsipas clearly determined.

Zverev also got into the second round badly, he immediately conceded the break and ran after a deficit. Tsitsipas, who had to be treated by his physiotherapist on his right leg in the first round, often made the better decisions and used his third match point to win after 1:58 minutes.

Daniel Altmaier will also be challenged in Paris on Thursday evening. The 25-year-old, who had benefited in the second round from an injury-related cancellation of the American Taylor Fritz, will compete against the Dane Holger Rune, trained by tennis icon Boris Becker. He could give Zverev valuable help with a win on the way to Turin.

ast/sid/dpa