Alexander Zverev says he didn’t produce his best tennis after losing in the semi-finals of the Canadian Masters, in which he failed to convert a match point.
Zverev, who was the top seed in the tournament, suffered a 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(4) loss to Russia’s Karen Khachanov, who is through to his first Masters 1000 final since 2018. The German world No.3 produced a total of 44 unforced errors against 36 winners and failed to convert a match point when leading 6-5 in the final set.
“I didn’t feel my best on the court, didn’t play my best tennis. The first set was terrible, so I kind of gave him a head start, and he’s too good to not use that.” Zverev said during his press conference.
“I still had a match point, so it’s upsetting that I lost this match. But that’s the way it is, we move on.”
Elaborating further, Zverev said he was ‘brave’ in the final tiebreaker, but ‘it didn’t work out’ with the multiple Grand Slam finalist producing some costly mistakes. However, there are still positives for the 28-year-old who has won four matches in a row at the same tournament, which is something he hadn’t done since the French Open.
“I wasn’t feeling the ball well, so it’s normal that you miss a little bit more than usual in these kinds of situations,” he commented.
“But that’s okay, I have another chance in a few days in Cincinnati.”
As for Khachanov, it is only the third time in 24 attempts that he has beaten a top-three player on the Tour. His other wins were over Novak Djokovic at the 2018 Paris Masters and Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2023 Miami Masters.
In Toronto, the 11th seed has also produced wins over Alex Michelsen and Casper Ruud before upsetting Zverev. A solid run for a player who initially had reservations about the tournament.
“When I came here, I didn’t like the conditions. I can say it now,” Khachanov revealed.
“But that’s all about adjusting and adapting. I think tennis is all about that. Every week we play in different events. Even though it’s on a hard court, in the end it’s different…humidity, different heat, cold, etc.”
Standing in Khachanov’s way of the title is Ben Shelton, who defeated compatriot Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-3, in his semi-final match. At the age of 22, he is the youngest American man to reach a Masters final since Andy Roddick in 2004. It is only the fourth time Shelton has beaten a top-five opponent in a Tour-level event.
“It’s a tough match. He’s been playing really good tennis this whole week,” Shelton said of facing Khachanov.
“We played earlier this year in Indian Wells. It was a tough match. He’s a rock-solid baseliner, serves well, and is a great competitor.
“I’m looking forward to my first opportunity in a Masters final.”
The final is scheduled to take place on Thursday.
