A day after his younger brother nearly upset one of the game’s greats at the Australian Open, Mischa Zverev went one better when he eliminated Andy Murray in four sets to hand the world No. 1 his worst grand slam defeat — in ranking — in a decade.
Zverev — a net rushing German ranked 50th — eliminated Murray 7-5 5-7 6-2 6-4 in the fourth round at Rod Laver Arena 11 years after the Scot was ousted by 51st-ranked Juan Chela at Melbourne Park.
Zverev’s sibling Alexander looked on from the player box on a warm, sunny day — he had lost in five sets to Rafael Nadal on Saturday in cooler conditions but was in much better spirits Sunday thanks to his brother’s heroics.
“Definitely the best match of my life,” Zverev, into a first grand slam quarterfinal, told reporters. “Not only because it was a best-of-five set match, it was at a slam. It was just incredible.”
It was the earliest exit for a men’s top seed at the Australian Open since Lleyton Hewitt at the same stage in 2003 and leaves the tournament without the top two seeds already following six-time champion Novak Djokovic’s similarly unexpected reverse to Denis Istomin in the second round.
For Murray — the men’s tour’s standout player for the second half of last year — it means he will have to wait to collect a first title in Melbourne.
The loss to lefty Zverev was indeed more heartache for the Scot here, given he has lost five finals.
“I’m obviously down about it,” Murray, playing his first major as a No. 1, told reporters. “It’s just tennis. I had great success for a number of months. Obviously in the biggest events you want to do your best. That’s not been the case here. It happens.
“I’ve had tough losses in my career in the past. I’ve come back from them. This is a tough one. I’m sure I’ll come back okay from it. But right now I’m obviously very down because I wanted to go further in this event, and it wasn’t to be.”
Too many matches?
Murray didn’t discount his hectic schedule at the end of 2016 — including winning the World Tour Finals in late November — being a factor in Sunday’s result.
“The off-season for me was fairly short just because I had to take a decent break after the Tour Finals,” he said. “But it was a great way to finish last year. I was full of confidence coming into the beginning of this year. I prepared as best as I could.
“But maybe have to have a look back and assess some things and see maybe if there’s some stuff I could have done differently, or did my opponent just play a great match? Sometimes that can happen, as well.
“I don’t know if the end of last season had any bearing on today. I wouldn’t have thought so.”
The last time both Murray and Djokovic lost prior to the quarterfinals at a major was at the 2007 Australian Open. They’ve dominated at grand slams in recent years so the likes of Nadal and Roger Federer — the two titans who own a combined 31 majors — might feel they have a decent opportunity to end their grand slam droughts.
Federer faces fifth-ranked Kei Nishikori later Sunday, with Nadal playing sixth-ranked Gael Monfils on Monday. Federer or Nishikori will meet Zverev in the last eight.
Perhaps Zverev will like his chances, too.
Contemplating retirement in 2014 after wrist surgery, his mom Irena said 19-year-old Alexander — a right-hander who prefers to stay on the baseline — helped convince his brother to keep playing. Zverev — also struck down by rib and back injuries — was ranked outside the top 1000 early in 2015.
“I was ranked very, very low,” said Zverev. “It wasn’t easy.
“But having such a great family where my brother is doing well, the whole family is there to support you … it was a long journey but a fun one.”
His attacking style is certainly an anomaly in tennis yet it was effective against Murray after a promising conclusion to 2016.
The Russian-born 29-year-old, who rallied from two sets down against John Isner in round two, approached the net 118 times, winning 65 of those points against one of tennis’ best counter-punchers. Murray, though, will particularly rue not serving out the first set at 5-3.
In the fourth, attempting to serve out the affair, Zverev hit a gutsy smash into the corner at 0-15, then a stunning, short volley at 15-30. On a first match point, Murray erred on a forehand.
The upset was complete, adding to Murray’s bittersweet memories on Rod Laver Arena.