'Hard to watch': 'Disappointing' star thrashed

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Former satellite No.2 Alexander Zverev continues to conflict connected his instrumentality to the athletics aft a agelong wounded layoff, with the German easy beaten successful his latest lucifer astatine the United Cup.

Zverev went down 6-1, 6-4 to satellite No.9 Taylor Fritz, his 2nd nonaccomplishment successful a substance of days.

Earlier successful the tourney Zverev was beaten by Jiří Lehečka, 6-4, 6-2.

LIVE UPDATES: All the enactment from time 5 of the United Cup

It's the archetypal authoritative tourney for Zverev since helium suffered a superior ankle wounded astatine the French Open successful June.

The archetypal acceptable against Fritz lasted conscionable 21 minutes, a motion of however acold disconnected the gait Zverev is.

"He's successful a rebuilding phase. He's inactive searching for confidence, which is absorbing due to the fact that astatine the clip helium wounded himself helium was playing the champion tennis of his life," Nine commentator Todd Woodbridge told Wide World of Sports.

Match Highlights: Taylor Fritz v Alexander Zverev

"He was adjacent to getting to No.1 successful the world, but the clip distant has enactment a small spot of uncertainty backmost into him.

"He doesn't look wholly comfy moving astir the court, but I deliberation that's conscionable portion of lucifer play, helium needs clip to settee backmost in."

The German's troubles spell atrocious quality for his Australian Open campaign, a tourney wherever helium made the semi finals successful 2020 and the 4th finals successful 2021.

Watch Team Australia instrumentality connected the satellite successful the United Cup, unrecorded and exclusive connected Nine, 9Now and Stan Sport.

"I deliberation the lucifer against Fritz would beryllium a spot disappointing for him. It conscionable shows wherever his assurance is at," Woodbridge said.

"The quality of the United Cup is helium had astatine slightest 2 matches, but neither of them were anyplace adjacent the level we're utilized to seeing from him.

"He's going to person to marque immoderate intelligence changes to spell heavy successful Melbourne. I deliberation it volition beryllium a large ask."

Speaking aft the nonaccomplishment to Lehečka, Zverev conceded his fittingness was inactive a agelong mode abbreviated of wherever it needs to be.

"I thought his ball-striking has been good, the contented is the serve," Woodbridge explained.

"That has been the happening that has stood out. It was a small hard to ticker astatine times.

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"All that helium needs is to triumph a lucifer oregon two. If helium gets a gully successful Melbourne wherever helium tin triumph a mates of matches, helium tin enactment his mode into it and commencement to consciousness much normal.

"He's ever worked hard but his conditioning is inactive not wherever it needs to be, adjacent with each the rehab helium would person done. He needs clip connected court, and successful Melbourne it's champion of 5 sets, truthful that volition beryllium a existent trial for him."

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