Where there is a lot at stake, things can go out of hand. It is difficult to control emotions during such moments and this is exactly what happened during the match between Alexander Zverev and Arthur Fils. The duo played in the summit clash of the German Open in which the Frenchman upset the local favorite Zverev in a thrilling match. However, toward the closing stages of the match, a controversy erupted after Fils was engaged in a war of words with Zverev during the changeover at 6-5.
The drama unfolded in the 11th game of the final set, with Fils hitting an underarm serve that was initially called in. However, upon further review, it was called fault after the ball had actually gone out of the service line. A few moments later, Zverev stopped play as he felt that Fils had hit the ball long. However, the call went in Fils’ favor this time around, as the atmosphere became tense. This stoppage in play didn’t go down well with Fils, who made his feelings felt during the changeover.
While it is not clear what Fils said to Zverev, his actions denoted that he wasn’t happy with Zverev pausing the play and questioning the umpire’s decisions. Additionally, Zverev accused the Frenchman of disrespect after hitting the underarm serve and Fils gave a fitting reply to him. Moreover, Fils had the last laugh, as he won the final set tiebreaker to clinch the title in Hamburg. The 20-year-old is on a massive rise this season and the victory over Zverev is one of his biggest career wins.
On the other hand, Zverev failed to defend the title on his home soil against a player ranked much lower than him. Owing to such inconsistent performances, many fans have questioned if Zverev can become a Grand Slam champion. However, the German firmly believes that he can win a major title.
Grand Slam title incoming for Alexander Zverev? Well, he feels so
After battling some serious injuries, the German star is back to his best. Although he lost today against Fils, Zverev has shown that he still has the confidence and the game to win a Grand Slam trophy in his career. Although fans have dismissed his chances, the 27-year-old was confident in his abilities.
During an interview at the German Open, Zverev mentioned, “I’m 23 years old, I don’t think it’s my last chance. I do believe that I will be a Grand Slam champion at some point. I think in a way it fueled gas into the fire a little bit because I was two points away from winning it, I practiced on Arthur Ashe a couple times. There are still memories there. I still remember it, and I still have that in the back of my mind.
After disappointing at the recently concluded Wimbledon Championships, Zverev would look to put his best foot forward at the US Open later this year. He has reached that tournament’s final once before and will look to better that performance this time around.
