Alexander Zverev wants to annoy referee and take mobile phone photo

Alexander Zverev reached the round of 16 of the Master tournament in Madrid. Against the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, after a weak start, it was just enough to win 2: 6, 7: 6 (7: 3), 7: 6 (7: 0).

But the result was quickly ticked off. In retrospect, you will remember a scene with which Zverev caused joy on the court.

At the end of the second set, the referee gave a ball of the Spaniard Fokina well. It was a wafer -thin decision because the ball was almost completely outside the line. But on the ATP tour there are no longer a linesquarters, but an electronic system that makes the decisions. Accordingly, the felt ball had just landed on the line, apparently hardly recognizing for the mere eye.

Zverev did not want to accept the decision and complained to the impartial. But that stayed with the decision. Then Zverev grabbed his cell phone from the bank and photographed the impression to prove that the ball was completely outside the line.

But theatrics used nothing, on the contrary: Zverev got a warning for the action from the referee. The Hamburger, who recently won the BMW Open in Munich, took it with humor and concentrated on his game.

Perhaps he tore together because ex-footballer Toni Kroos followed the game with his daughter. Before the game, the two greeted each other in the catacombs of the stadium, and Kroos presented Zverev a hand -signed jersey of the national team.

Maybe the jersey Zverev will bring luck. His chances of winning in Madrid have risen after Novak Djokovic had already left and Carlos Alcaraz had dismissed. The number one in the world rankings, Jannik Sinner, is still missing due to a doping lock. The tournament in Madrid is considered a large dress rehearsal before the French Open will take place in Paris in four weeks.