Alexander Zverev didn't start his 2024 Mexican Open campaign well, as he was eliminated already in the first round by an inspired Daniel Altmaier.
Taking on a compatriot is never easy, and the 2020 US Open runner-up experienced that at the ATP 500 tournament in Acapulco, where he was the top seed and one of the favourites.
Ahead of the tournament, the 26-year-old German player talked about his diabetes but also about his schedule. Zverev played many tournaments last year in an attempt to recover his form and rankings, but this year, he plans to play way less.
However, after the most recent disappointment, he may be forced to add one or two additional tournaments to his schedule, as he certainly didn't expect to lose already in the first round of an ATP 500 tournament.
A lot was to blame on the slow start. Zverev played one bad game in the opening set, and since his opponent stayed solid all the time, he was able to win it 6-3, and from there, the former world no. 2 was only chasing his opponent.
He managed to chase him down in the second set, breaking to lead 5-2, and saving one break point when serving for the set to win it 6-3 and force the decider.
The third set was the one that Zverev will likely regret, as he had a total of five break points, while his opponent had only one, yet, Altmaier was the one who used his chance, while his more experienced countryman was not able to do the same.
The result was a surprising loss for the top seed in Acapulco, as Altmaier won the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, setting up a second-round clash with Miomir Kecmanovic from Serbia. Zverev, on the other hand, will now want to focus on the Sunshine Double, where he will want to avoid similar early exits.
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