Masters 1000 tournament: Alexander Zverev fails in the round of 16 in Madrid

Alexander Zverev was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 tournament in Madrid. The top-seeded tennis professional lost to Francisco Cerundolo of Argentina 5-7, 3-6. The Hamburg native experienced an unpleasant déjà vu: A year ago, he was also eliminated in the round of 16 against the South American in the Spanish capital.

After his recent tournament victory at the ATP 500 event in Munich, this was another setback for the world number two. The French Open begins in just under a month – the second Grand Slam tournament of the year in Paris, the highlight of the clay-court season.

In an evenly matched first set, Zverev remained commanding on serve and didn't give Cerundolo a break chance until the final game. But just then, at 5:6, the Hamburg native slipped up and lost the set. The 28-year-old suddenly appeared unsettled and missed his first serve in the second set. Shortly thereafter, Cerundolo took a 3-0 lead – a decisive moment for the outcome of the match.

Zverev argued with the umpire and slammed his racket down in frustration. He managed only six winners in the entire match – three times as many as his 26-year-old rival. The world number 21 remained focused and celebrated his third victory in his third match with the German.

The tournament favorite and 2021 Olympic champion had already struggled in Madrid in the previous round against Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, winning only after a tough battle in three sets. A scene caused a stir when Zverev pulled out his phone and photographed the imprint of a ball during a close match. He received a warning.

After the tournament had to be interrupted the day before due to the widespread power outage on the Iberian Peninsula, the games were able to continue on Tuesday.

RND/dpa