Alexander Zverev was close to solving the Taylor Fritz puzzle, but fell short again.
On Saturday, the 27-year-old lost to the inspired American in the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin. In a tight three-set battle where only a few points set the two apart, Zverev admitted he fell short at crucial moments.
"This one will hurt maybe a bit more because I thought I played at a decent level and I had more chances generally in the third set. I felt like statistically and shot-wise, my level maybe was even higher than his until the important moments. That's where I kind of blew it. This one will hurt more than the other few," said Zverev.
"I didn't use my chances in the third set at all. I feel like I had more than enough. I played a below-average tie-break, I would say. A lot worse than what the level was throughout the third set from my end."
In one of the most noteworthy rivalries of 2024, Zverev and Fritz faced each other five times, including battles at Wimbledon and the US Open, which went Fritz’s way. Overall, the American, enjoying his best season on the Tour, edged Zverev 4-1 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion acknowledged the improvements he has seen in the US Open finalist’s game.
“His forehand used to break down quite a lot. His forehand was always fast, and very aggressive, but it was very shaky in important moments. He could hit a winner, but he could hit the fence, as well. I feel like the ratio is a lot more towards winners now than hitting the fence. His forehand doesn't break down as much as it used to,” he said.
“I think that's the shot that improved the most for him."
[ATP AWARDS]Zverev, who notched a perfect 3-0 round-robin record at the prestigious season finale, including a straight-sets win over Carlos Alcaraz in his last group stage match on Friday, admitted he felt different against Fritz in the semi-final.
"I felt a bit more empty today. Yesterday I felt full of energy. I was like a jumping ball. I could move and I could run no matter how long. Today I felt more empty, especially in the beginning. The longer the match went on, the better I felt. In the beginning of the match, I struggled. In the warm-up I struggled as well,” he shared.
"It was one of those days where everything takes time to get going. It's not a natural flow to movement patterns, to your shots as well, to just how you wake up in the morning. Everything is a little bit more tiring. I felt that way today.
“Against Carlos, it was the highlight of the tournament. Probably the highest-level match that the tournament has seen so far. Unfortunately, I didn't back it up at the level in the first set.”
Zverev, who has sealed his status as the year-end No. 2 in the PIF ATP Rankings, also reflected on his journey this year. The German won two titles and registered a 69-21 record this season according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
“I played some fantastic matches. I've won 65 matches, something like that. It's been an interesting year for me, especially after the injury. It was kind of my first year completely back competing at this level and competing for big tournaments. I won two Masters events (Rome and Paris),” said Zverev.
“But what stays in mind I think are the tough losses that you had. What will stay in my mind is the Australian Open loss against Daniil, and the French Open final against Carlos. Those are the matches that stay in my mind. You can trust me, I'm going to do everything I can to be back in the same moments, in the same position next year. I'm going to do everything I can to win."
[NEWSLETTER FORM]