What was missing for Montreal! Zverev eliminated in the first round
The Masters 1000 in Montreal has suffered an unimaginable blow before the tournament even began. Alexander Zverev, the second seed and a major favorite following the withdrawals of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic,, has been eliminated in his debut against Tallon Griekspoor with scores of 6-7, 6-2, and 6-4. The defeat is a hard setback for the German, but also for a tournament that, just after it has begun, no longer has any member of the top 5 in the world competing.
Zverev arrived in Canada with an excellent opportunity to add a title of immense prestige. With several of the main names in the circuit absent from the draw, the German was the leading candidate for the trophy. However, after winning a closely contested first set in a tiebreak, his level dropped significantly, allowing Griekspoor to turn the match around with authority.
The Dutchman grew stronger as the minutes passed, dominating the rallies from the baseline and taking advantage of Zverev's drop in intensity to decisively take the last two sets. This result marks one of the most important victories of his season and opens up a draw that has become completely wide open.
An even more watered-down tournament
If Zverev's elimination is bad news for the German, it represents a genuine setback for the organization of the Masters 1000 in Montreal. Even before the tournament began, there had already been withdrawals from Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, and Novak Djokovic, a list that this afternoon was joined by Félix Auger-Aliassime, the local favorite, who cannot take to the court due to a last-minute back injury.
With this new scoreboard in play, the German's defeat completes an unthinkable scenario: no member of the top 5 in the world remains alive as the tournament has barely completed its first few days. Although this circumstance opens the door to a much more unpredictable edition and offers opportunities to players who usually start one step behind, it also deprives the Canadian audience of seeing the top stars of the men's circuit in action.
For Zverev, by the way, the blow is somewhat significant. The German, who had just completed a glorious spring in Grand Slam events, squanders a golden opportunity to close the gap in the rankings and win a Masters 1000 that, on paper, seemed more accessible than ever.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, ¡Lo que le faltaba a Montreal! Zverev, eliminado en la primera curva