Zverev's Sloppy Play Against Djokovic Blasts Becker
Instigating a Potential Stomach Strike Incident: Becker's Alleged Mimicry of Djokovic's Presumed Rudeness
In the French Open quarterfinals, tennis legend Boris Becker lashed out at Alexander Zverev for his slack performance against Novak Djokovic, calling it disrespectful. The 28-year-old German took a pounding with an astounding 35 stop shots against him, as per official stats, leaving Becker flabbergasted.
"It's nearly sacrilegious. If I had faced a player who played the fifth stop shot, I'd have given him a serve so scorching that he'd vow never to play a stop shot again," Becker scorched on Eurosport. "I'd have handled the ball differently, and many others would have, too," he added, leaving no stones unturned in his critique.
Djokovic strategically drew Zverev, who usually lurks far behind the baseline, towards the net with stop shots. Zverev struggled to respond to the seasoned 38-year-old Serbian, concluding, "At a certain point, I felt like I had no clue how to earn a point from the baseline against him."
Following another missed opportunity for a Grand Slam title, Zverev expressed admiration for Djokovic's superior play, "He played better than me today." Becker wasn't as charitable, highlighting Zverev's French Open performance as a fumble, "Superstars like Djokovic, or even Sinner and Alcaraz, you have to take control. You've got to be the aggressor and feel invincible."
The veteran tennis player advised Zverev to rethink his entire clay-court season, suggesting a family meeting to discuss the shortcomings. With the next Grand Slam, Wimbledon, approximately three and a half weeks away, a disheartened Zverev had only one thing in mind, "I'm hitting the links. I couldn't care less about tennis right now."
Source: ntv.de, ter/dpa
Insight:
Becker's criticism of Zverev indicates that the latter's passive play was a significant contributor to his defeat. Zverev's own assessment of the match attributes the loss to external factors, but Becker believes that greater assertiveness from Zverev could have helped him secure a better outcome.
Alexander Zverev's poor performance in the French Open quarterfinals, marked by his passive approach against Novak Djokovic, was heavily criticized by tennis legend Boris Becker. In the sports-analysis, Becker suggested that Superstars like Djokovic, or even upcoming talents such as Sinner and Alcaraz, require a more assertive approach on clay courts to achieve success, implying that Zverev's passive play may have been a reason for his defeat.
