Finally failed. Hubert Hurkacz eliminated from the ATP Finals

Prior to this match, seventh-placed Hurkacz was in a very difficult situation. To get to the “four” he had not only to defeat Zverev (third), but also to count on a positive result for him at the evening meeting to close the rivalry in the red group. He needed Russian defender Daniil Medvedev (second), now confident of promotion, to beat Italian substitute Yannick Sener, to replace injured compatriot Matteo Berrettini (sixth). However, he did not fulfill the first condition and bid farewell to the party.

Germany, with a previous tally of 1-1, needed a win to ensure their participation in the next stage of the competition and he scored the goal.

While the Polish showed his good side in his opening match, in which he broke Medvedev’s set, he failed in the confrontation with Sener, which he lost 2:6, 2:6. He also started Thursday’s performance poorly. After 10 minutes, Germany were leading 4-0, and Hurkacz scored only two points in his account during this time. Then he began to resist his opponent a little, but the advantage of the favorite was indisputable. Official coach Craig Boynton tried to play in combination, but that didn’t help much. In the seventh inning he defended his “break point”, which was also the set-ball, but the Olympic champion from Tokyo shortly thereafter with his request to seal the victory in the opening game that lasted only 26 minutes.

Zverev’s advantage in this part of the match in terms of service was overwhelming. He sent six aces, one to the Wroclaw player’s side, and won 94 percent of the stock after his first pass, while Hurkacz only 47.

And some media, on Wednesday, began to speculate that the pole may have problems with his foot and will not start the match with the winner of the gentlemen three years ago. But Boynton confirmed after training on Thursday that his player is fit and will play. The fact that he is physically fit was confirmed in the second installment, in which he appeared clearly. The service began to work out better for him and he became an equal opponent of the German of Russian origin.

However, ten aces and a reduction in fouls were enough to compete with him as a Jewel for a Jewel for a long time. But in the second part of the group, the favorite began to push hard again. For the first time Hurkacz had to defend himself against losing a pass at 3:3 and then effectively did it. He did not succeed in repeating it in the eighth inning. He scored the first two points on the opponent’s serve, but the opponent took control of the situation with a sober calm after a moment. The second time it happened at the end of the match, when a player from Wroclaw lost the last two points after unsuccessful returns.

The 24-year-old faced his counterpart from Hamburg for the second time in his career. Two years ago in Madrid in the 1/8 finals – after a three-set match – the contender was the winner, who has won four ATP Championships this season and won the Olympic gold in Tokyo. Hurkacz has enjoyed tournament wins three times this year and has also reached the semi-finals of the Grand Slam Wimbledon.

Previously, the Polish tennis player presented himself in the Singles Masters 45 years ago. Wojciech Fibak in 1976 in Houston reached the final, losing a five-set duel with Spaniard Manuel Orantes.

Alexander Zverev (Germany 3) beat Hubert Hurkacz (Poland 7) 6-2, 6-4.