For having rubbed shoulders with Benoit Paire, positive for Covid-19, Adrian Mannarino almost did not play against Alexander Zverev on Friday in the 3rd round of the US Open. It was finally three hours late that his match was able to start. A meeting unlike any other that the French lost in four sets.
Adrian Mannarino will remember it for a long time … The German Alexander Zverev qualified for the round of 16 of the US Open by beating the French (6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-2 , 6-2) on Friday after an imbroglio nearly called off their game. It was almost three hours late that the meeting was able to start at the Louis-Armstrong Stadium. The American Federation (USTA) explained that it was the result of “a dialogue” with the New York State Department of Health about Mannarino, who is under close surveillance and in isolation for having done so. part of the players who worked with Benoît Paire, tested positive for coronavirus and excluded from the tournament. The body refused to say more, citing medical confidentiality.
“I do not know what really happened, how the situation has evolved in the right direction to allow me to play, commented the French player after his defeat. I was ready to go on the court. We had the news that it was New York City that agreed last Sunday to let us play. I believe the state can override the city to make the decision not to let me play. “
“So much stress and misunderstanding …”
Still, the French player is not ready to forget this episode: “I was told:” We are going to postpone the match to 5 p.m. and we will try to do everything to see if they can reverse this decision. ” I don’t know who they contacted, who did what, I imagine that a lot has happened during this short period of time. There was so much stress, there was so much misunderstanding… It happened so much since Saturday. In my head I wasn’t even going to be able to play the tournament. To be able to be on the court and to be able to play… I was already super happy. ” Happy but beaten despite a great resistance against the world number 7. Zverev was surprised by the bluffing start from Mannarino who took the first set in the tie-break, showing himself to be more aggressive than his opponent, perhaps also disturbed by the situation.
The German nevertheless gradually took control of the match and was able to equalize a set everywhere, before going on with a break in the 3rd. The Frenchman was able to break free at 3-2 in the 3rd set, but he had just received treatment in his left groin. An embarrassment that did not let go of the match, while Zverev further raised the pace to finish in the 4th set in 2h50. Either more or less the time it took for the USTA to get the match to take place.
