Alexander Zverev sparked concern when he picked up an injury while serving for a spot in the third round of the Shanghai Masters. The No. 3 seed was leading qualifier Valentin Royer 6-4 5-4 and hit a winning serve when he suddenly doubled over in pain.
Commentators were baffled as the umpire immediately called the physio to the court in the middle of the game while Zverev limped to his bench and explained that something happened to his toe.
“What’s happened here? He’s immediately started hobbling?” Arvind Palmer said on commentary as the chair umpire asked Zverev what was going on.
“Tie, I think I heard him say. This is not good,” Palmer continued. “I don’t think the crowd realise what has happened,” co-commentator Barry Cowan replied as Zverev headed to his bench.
The umpire got on his walkie-talkie, asking for assistance. “We need the physio on Stadium court for Zverev. We stopped playing. For a right foot injury,” he said.
The No. 3 seed waited at his bench until the physio arrived, and explained: “I jumped on my serve, landed, and now I can’t step on my big toe. Just landed normally, nothing out of the ordinary.”
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