In the world of tennis, the unexpected has a way of making headlines. Last week, we witnessed just that when top seed and world No. 2, Alexander Zverev, was ousted in a surprise quarterfinal defeat at the Rio Open. The victor? World No. 86, Francisco Comesana, who triumphed with a 4-6 6-3 6-4 win.
However, the plot thickens when you consider Zverev’s pre-match comments. Just before his shock defeat, Zverev had voiced concerns over the quality of the balls being used in the tournament. Specifically, he pointed out that the Wilson balls being used felt flat, a factor that didn’t sit well with his elbow.
The struggle with the balls was evident in Zverev’s performance leading up to the quarterfinals. He had managed to scrape by Bu Yunchaokete with a 7-6 (4) 6-4 win, followed by a nail-biting encounter with Alexander Shevchenko, which he narrowly won 7-6 (1) 7-6 (6) in the round-of-16.
Zverev’s comments after his win over Shevchenko were telling. He revealed, “I’ve had some difficulties with the balls here…This is another issue that players have been talking about a lot over the last year, two years, a lot.”
Despite his concerns, Zverev’s woes didn’t end there. His match against Comesana saw the continuation of his struggles, culminating in an earlier than anticipated exit from the tournament.
Interestingly, Zverev’s criticism of the tournament’s equipment didn’t extend to the tournament itself. After his unexpected loss, the 27-year-old spoke warmly of his time at the Rio Open. He even compared it favorably to his experience in Buenos Aires the previous week where he was also upset in the quarterfinals.
“Better level than Buenos Aires but unfortunate to finish the tournament like this,” Zverev reflected after his exit from the Rio Open. He added, “I still enjoyed my time in Rio and hope to come back. It’s one of the most beautiful 500s that I’ve ever played. Shame because I was in a winning position.”
With the Rio Open behind him, Zverev’s focus now shifts to preparing for the Indian Wells Masters. Given his 8-1 record on hard courts this year, including victories in both his United Cup matches and reaching the final of the Australian Open before succumbing to Jannik Sinner, Zverev is expected to put up a strong performance in the upcoming tournament.
As we await his next move, one thing is for sure: Zverev’s comments about the balls at the Rio Open have added an intriguing twist to the narrative. Whether this will spark a broader discussion about equipment standards in the sport remains to be seen.