World No. 3 Alexander Zverev did not hide his frustration after being eliminated in the round of 16 of the Italian Open on Tuesday. The German was defeated by Italian Luciano Darderi, despite holding four match points in the second set. Worse still, he suffered a bagel (6-0) in the deciding set.
After the result, Zverev, a pre-tournament favorite, let his anger show, harshly criticizing the clay court in Rome.
“I think it’s the worst court I’ve ever played on in my life. Juniors, pros, futures, training—I’ve never played on such poor quality. I had a match point, and the ball bounced over my head. I had a break point, and the ball rolled,” the German complained.
Still, Zverev did not deflect blame, admitting he should have won the match in straight sets.
“I should have won it in two sets. That’s the story. Of course, the third set was his. He played incredible tennis. I should have won in two,” he added.
Darderi, ranked No. 20, will face young Spaniard Rafael Jódar in the next round.