'Painful to watch': Tennis world stunned by 'awful' US Open moment
Alexander Zverev stunned the tennis world with a horrendous serving display in his fourth-round loss at the US Open.
The sixth seed doubled-faulted 17 times in his round of 16 exit to Diego Schwartzman, the Argentine taking full advantage to close out a 3-6 6-2 6-4 6-3 victory in three hours and eight minutes.
‘WHAT IN THE WORLD’: Nadal goes missing in bizarre disappearing act
Zverev's serving problems have dogged him for months and they came back in force against Schwartzman, who advanced to the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows for the second time in the past three years.
One shocking serve in the first set left fans speechless, the ball bouncing before it hit the net.
Zverev 2nd service🙈(🎥@Eurosport_RU ) pic.twitter.com/WloLBDZ1zR
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) September 2, 2019
Another serve in the second set sailed way long and wide, nowhere near its intended target.
Zverev 2nd serve 🙈 (🎥@Eurosport_RU ) pic.twitter.com/loPk8IDueX
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) September 2, 2019
Fans and pundits couldn’t believe what they were seeing.
17 double faults, 65 unforced errors, just 33% of points won on second serve equals a horrible day for Alexander Zverev. His career is in freefall at the moment. Credit to Diego Schwartzman, who has played some stunning tennis today #USOpen
— Uche Amako (@UcheAmako) September 2, 2019
Zverev looking like Janowicz, who also lost his serve...Zverev a better player, but he’s got big issues.
— Full Dissident (@hbryant42) September 2, 2019
describe Alexander Zverev’s serve using a GIF👇🏼
— Ricky Dimon (@Dimonator) September 2, 2019
Those Zverev double faults and 68mph "throw-ins" from a 6'5" pro are so painful to watch ... but at least they make me feel a little bit better about my own serve! pic.twitter.com/bjqu0fabdc
— Florian Ederer (@florianederer) September 2, 2019
Sasha Zverev would have safer taking the rest of the year off and trying to rebuild his serve . It’s awful and unless sorted he will never make a slam semi even. He won the ATP finals and has had a rotten year #USOpen2019
— Kevin McAneney (@83Ways2SkinACat) September 2, 2019
Zverev doesn’t know what to do with his second serve, he has just lost all confidence in it to the extent he is just decelerating. You have to feel for him, he is clearly putting so much heart into his game but just can’t quite execute
— Tennis 🎾 (@tennisanalysed) September 2, 2019
Schwartzman, the diminutive 20th seed, broke serve eight times with the almost two metre-tall Zverev winning just 32 per cent of second-serve points and amassing 65 unforced errors.
"Alex had many problems with his serve. I am a big returner and took my chances," Schwartzman said.
"That helped me a lot. I knew I had the chance to win this match."
Ugly scenes late in match
Zverev was hit with a point penalty for swearing in the final set to put Schwartzman up 5-2.
The world No.6 pleaded in vain he had been unaware of being warned before for slamming the ball into the crowd and was backed up by Schwartzman, but the point penalty stood.
The relentless Schwartzman played solidly from the baseline to deny Zverev his first quarter-final appearance in New York and move through to a meeting with second-seeded Rafael Nadal or 22nd-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic.
For Schwartzman the win was just his sixth in 28 attempts against a top-10 opponent, sending him through to the last eight at a major tournament for only the third time.
"It was great to play with this crowd, they helped in every important moment," Schwartzman said.
with AAP