It’s a humbling confession to have to make before the multitudes. It would be cruel to be flip about it, but his admission was borne out at just about every level. Sinner hit more winners (32 to 25, and Zverev’s total includes his 12 aces), he made far fewer unforced errors (25 to 47), and he won more points returning first and second serves. Zverev’s massive serve was his one area of superiority: in addition to clocking twice the number of aces, his first-serve conversion percentage was better, 68 percent to 60 percent.
“Today he completely outplayed me,” Zverev told reporters afterward. “I’m serving better than him, but that’s it. He does everything else better than me. He moves better than me. He hits his forehand better than me. He hits his backhand better than me. He returns better than me. He volleys better than me. That’s the reason why he won.”
While this win was straightforward, there were a few wrinkles and nuances worth contemplating. Zverev seemed a little disorganized at the start. He had trouble choosing the racquet with the desired tension. Once in the flow of the match, he never seemed to take command of points, even when a blazing serve gave him the opportunity. He seemed unsure of what strategy to pursue and, worst of all, he lacked confidence.
