Alexander Zverev was literally demolished by Jannik Sinner in the second semifinal of the Paris Masters 1000 yesterday, disappointing the expectations of fans who expected a decidedly more balanced match after the electrifying final of the Vienna ATP 500 last Sunday.
From the first rallies, everyone understood that the German ace had not recovered from the previous day's tough battle against Daniil Medvedev, to whom he had also canceled two match points before prevailing in the photo finish. The current world number 3 had an ankle injury that did not seem serious initially, but Sascha confided that his limb swelled a lot in the hours before the match against the 24-year-old Italian and it is for this reason that he could not play his best tennis.
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The German champion's season did not live up to expectations and it is no exaggeration to say that it was a failure in some respects, considering that he lifted only one trophy and unleashed disappointing performances especially in Grand Slam tournaments. He had very ambitious goals on the eve of 2025 and also had the chance to become world number 1, because Sinner received a three-month ban from WADA, but he did not take advantage of that opportunity by sinking into a crisis that he himself called very serious.
Sascha doesn't have much time
The star from Hamburg will try to recover a good shape for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, which will start next Sunday at the Inalpi Arena. The former world number 2 who triumphed at the year-end Masters in 2018 (in London) and 2021 (in the first edition in Turin) is aware that he does not have much time, but he is willing to do everything possible.
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"I will go to Munich immediately to consult the doctor who operated on my ankle and see what solution he will propose to me. I hope to be able to play in Turin, even if I will probably have to resort to infiltrations," said Sascha in his last press conference in the French capital.
