'I will never achieve much in Rotterdam if conditions don't change,' said Zverev

Alexander Zverev asked for the Rotterdam wild card, seeking another notable result following the Australian Open quarter-final and that tight clash against Novak Djokovic where he wasted his opportunities.

Instead, the German suffered his fifth loss from eight Rotterdam matches, losing 7-5, 6-3 to Alexander Bublik in the opening round. Zverev had the advantage in both sets before Bublik would seize control, breaking the better-ranked opponent four times to seal the deal in straight sets and earn his third top-10 triumph.

After the match, Zverev said he didn't like the conditions since the first practice session, struggling with the balls and a low bounce that caused him many troubles. The German couldn't win a set even during his practice encounters and wasn't too upset about an early loss.

"I haven't won a single practice set during five days in Rotterdam, and I've been practicing twice a day. I haven't done well here in the previous editions; also, if the conditions don't change a bit, I don't think my results will improve here in the future.

I'm not as upset about the match as I usually would be in another tournament because I don't feel well in Rotterdam," Alexander Zverev said.