Alexander Zverev: Back on tour, but he feels the pneumonia – Sport

Alexander Zverev has a very good memory, at least at this moment he surprised chair umpire Fergus Murphy by describing an incident that happened a whopping seven years ago. When the Irishman, a renowned umpire in tennis, refused him video evidence after an out-call on the first serve because Zverev’s request for a review came too late, Zverev first growled. He then lost the point with a forehand error, strode energetically to Murphy and reminded him that in 2017 the Australian Nick Kyrgios went to his side in a match against him “at break point in the third set”, looked for traces of a ball print and then accepted a video challenge. “That lasted 45 seconds,” said Zverev angrily. “2017?” Murphy asked, visibly surprised. “Yes, in 2017, in Miami,” said Zverev, assuring that Murphy was also the referee back then. Murphy responded coolly and just smiled.

Ultimately, this was the only rough scene in Zverev’s first appearance at the Masters tournament in Shanghai after his short forced break. After a bye in the first round, he moved into the third round with a never-threatened 6:4, 6:2 win against Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci. Zverev also coughed at this party, as he has in the past few weeks. After the Laver Cup in Berlin (September 20th to 22nd), during which he had a high fever at times, the best German tennis professional was finally diagnosed with pneumonia. Zverev, currently third in the world rankings, then decided not to take part in the ATP tournament in Beijing. “I was on antibiotics for a week, so I didn’t train.” “I didn’t actually do anything,” he said before his first match in Shanghai.

“Either I end my season now – or I play as best I can”

On the one hand, Zverev now feels good on the pitch again, “that surprised me a bit,” he said. On the other hand, he explained that he would continue to feel the effects of his illness for a long time. “The problem I have with my lungs is not going to go away in a week or two.” “It will probably take a month or two,” he said. “I feel like I might get tired a bit quicker.” The 27-year-old is relying on the expertise of his doctors, who assured him his health would not deteriorate when he returns to the pitch. Zverev only saw two options for himself anyway: “Either I’ve had my season now – or I’ll play the way I can.”

Zverev’s victory against the world number 101. Bellucci was already 58th this season. Only world number one Jannik Sinner has won more often (60 times). The Italian is already in the round of 16 after a 6:7 (3), 6:4, 6:2 win against Argentinian Tomás Martín Etcheverry. Sinner now had to accept another unpleasant report in connection with his doping case. Recently, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) decided to appeal to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in Lausanne against the acquittal of Sinner, pronounced by an arbitration tribunal. Now, according to the German Press Agency, the Cas announced that it is not yet possible to predict when a decision will be made. The process will therefore probably take longer. Sinner tested positive for the steroid Clostebol twice in March, but blamed his physical therapist for the contamination.