Alexander Zverev admits he was ‘HORRIBLE’ against Jordan Thompson as he makes a first-round exit in Japan

Alexander Zverev is unhappy with his performance in the first round of the Japan Open.

Alexander Zverev admits he was ‘HORRIBLE’ against Jordan Thompson as he makes a first-round exit in Japan

Alexander Zverev and jordan Thompson ( Credits: TennisBuzz, Tennis Australia)

In a major upset at the Japan Open, World No. 9, Alexander Zverev lost to Jordan Thompson in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4. The German was extremely disappointed with the match and with the way that he played. Zverev also failed to have a successful run at the Shanghai Masters, losing out to Roman Safiullin in straight sets again in the round of 64 match.

Talking about the match, Alexander Zverev stated, “Today I played horrible. He played quite good, he served quite good, but it’s just a very, very bad match for me. I don’t know what to say.”

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Alexander Zverev, who recently won the Chengdu Open against Roman Safiullin, was not expected to lose in straight sets against Jordan Thompson. The Australian defeated Zverev in one and a half hours before proceeding to the second round of the tournament. 

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Jordan Thompson broke his serve in the 4th game of the opening set to take a 3-1 lead very early. The Australian did not give much room to Zverev to make a comeback in the first set and easily won it by 6-3. The second set contained hope for Zverev, as he broke Jordan early to create a 2-0 lead. This, however, did not prove useful as the World No. 60 broke back immediately and made a stunning comeback in no time to win the set by 6-4.

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Alexander Zverev goes a step back in the Nitto ATP Finals Race

This defeat is a huge setback for the German, as it will now be tough for him to reach the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin later this year. Alexander Zverev is currently ranked No. 8 in the Turin rankings, where the top 8 will qualify for the ATP Finals. Holger Rune, Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz, and Casper Ruud are dangerously close to bridging the gap between the German in the race to reach the Finals.

Alexander Zverev ( Credits: tennisnet.com)

There are still a few more tournaments remaining this season, and Alexander Zverev will need to step up his game as he cannot afford another loss. This can bring him very close to being disqualified from the finals at Turin. 

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