It was hot in Indian Wells.

Hellishly hot even.

And that despite the fact that the organizers of the Masters tournament there confidently named their facility “Tennis Paradise”.

But because Corona had pushed the prestigious event from the usual date at the beginning of March into the significantly warmer autumn this year, the conditions in the middle of the Californian desert did not seem like paradise to the professionals this time.

The thermometer climbed more than 30 degrees Celsius almost every day.

Measured in the shade, because under the burning sun in the squares the temperature was a lot higher.

Pirmin Clossé

Sports editor.

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Playing tennis in this hellish heat first saps your strength and then your nerves. Alexander Zverev also knew that before his quarter-final match on Friday. After all, the Olympic champion from Tokyo had already had a few days to get used to the extreme conditions. After a bye in round one, he had played his way into the round of eight with victories over the American Brooksby, the British Murray and the French Monfils. And because the industry giants Federer, Nadal and Djokovic were not at the start and several other favorites had already been eliminated, the way to the next significant tournament win seemed just a walk away.

Especially when Zverev worked out two match points in his match against the American Taylor Fritz.

He led 5: 2 and 5: 3 in the decisive third set.

But suddenly Zverev, one of the fittest players on the professional tour, had to pay tribute to the effort.

His power reserves burned up, the lead melted away and he lost the match 6: 4, 3: 6, 6: 7.

"The defeat hurts," he said afterwards.

Because he knew that he was "the favorite to win the tournament".

Investigation of the ATP

The 24-year-old also said that he wanted to “just go home”. Traveling home, that means flying to Monte Carlo for Zverev, where he has set up a kind of family base with his mother, father and brother as well as his wife and child for several years. It's the place where Zverev feels best shielded from the hustle and bustle around himself. Because during his two-week appearance in Indian Wells, it was not just his game on the pitch that made the headlines.

At the beginning of the tournament it became known that the professional association ATP was opening an investigation into allegations of domestic violence against Zverev. The reason for this is the statements made by a previous partner, around one and a half years old. She accused him of physical and psychological violence and described several incidents, some of which are said to have occurred in the context of tennis tournaments. Zverev welcomed the intention of the ATP. He hopes the investigation will prove his innocence. He vehemently denies the allegations. His former partner has so far refrained from taking legal action.

It seems doubtful, however, whether the ATP can help clarify the situation.

The organization has so far left many questions unanswered, such as who should investigate and how.

Not to mention the question of what rights the ATP has.

So the impression arises that the association wants to defend itself above all against the ongoing public criticism that it is too inactive in such matters.

Another tennis player is currently facing an ordinary court on charges of domestic violence: the Georgian Nikolos Bassilashvili.

On Sunday he played the final in Indian Wells.