World No. 1 Andy Murray will have to wait at least another year before capturing his first Australian Open title.
With 19-year-old Alexander Zverev eliminated after his five-set bout with Rafael Nadal, Mischa Zverev — Sascha’s older brother by a decade — was left with the responsibility of running the family business for the rest of the tournament.
And with Sascha watching from the stands of Rod Laver Arena, he stepped up big-time. Ranked 50th, the elder Zverev beat Murray in a three-and-a-half-hour thriller 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Zverev, a left-handed serve-and-volleyer, played like he had nothing to lose, perhaps because he felt like he was playing on borrowed time after fighting off a match point to beat American John Isner 9-7 in the fifth set during Round 2.
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In the first set, with the help of the net cord, Murray drew first blood by breaking to take a 3-1 lead. Zverev broke right back on a backhand winner, though, and consolidated to even it at 3-3. Murray later broke to go up 5-3 after Zverev netted a backhand volley. But Zverev caught fire shortly after, winning the next four games and taking the set 7-5.
In the second set, Murray got an early break on a forehand pass, consolidating to go up 3-0. Then a series of misses by Murray put the set back on serve. Fast-forward to the business end of the set: Zverev saved four set points on his own serve, but Murray wound up breaking two games later to win the set 7-5 and even the match at one apiece.
Then Zverev got the first break of the third set, sticking a backhand volley to break Murray at love and take a 3-2 lead. He then went on to win the three games that followed and win the set 6-2, putting himself a set away.
In the fourth, the German with the vintage game continued to dominate over the tennis’s highest-ranked player, breaking right off the bat and holding for 2-0. This left Murray trying, and failing, to play catchup for the remainder of the set. Zverev won the set 6-4 and earned himself a spot on the quarterfinals.
“It means the world to me that my whole family’s here, and my box is full and, and I have so many people that support me. It’s just amazing,” Zverev told Jim Courier in his post-match interview.
Zverev will play the winner of Roger Federer and Kei Nishikori.