Jannik Sinner: Alexander Zverev 'making excuses' for French Open defeat

ByAlexander Netherton

Updated 29/11/2020 at 13:10 GMT

Italian teenager Jannik Sinner has spoken out against Alexander Zverev for "making excuses" in the aftermath of his win over the German in the fourth round of the French Open at Roland Garros. Zverev suggested he was ill during the defeat, while Sinner claims to be unconvinced by his words.

Jannik Sinner has criticised fellow player Alexander Zverev for "making excuses" for his defeat at the French Open.

Zverev had impressed on his way to the fourth round of Roland-Garros in the aftermath of his run to the US Open final in New York, but lost to the 19-year-old Italian.

The German claimed after his defeated that he had felt unwell, citing breathing issues and a fever .

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However Sinner believes he was attempting to distract from his surprise defeat.

“I respect him a lot because he’s won more than me, he’s got more experience on the circuit, and he’s a great player,” Sinner told Italian newspaper Corriere.

“However, I do not respect his statements after his defeat to me at Roland Garros. He contradicted himself a lot.

“He said he had a fever, but in the third and fourth sets, he ran more than me.

“It seems to me that he was looking for an excuse after his defeat. Federer or Nadal, for example, would never have said such things.”

Sinner ultimately was knocked out of the quarter-finals in Paris by eventual winner Rafael Nadal.

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