What went wrong for Alexander Zverev against Emil Ruusuvuori in Miami?

Three years ago, Alexander Zverev battled for the Miami Open crown against John Isner, losing in three tight sets and hoping for a better run in Florida in the years to come.

Instead of that, the German lost the steam at one of the most significant events in the calendar, losing to a veteran David Ferrer in the second round in 2019 and suffering another early exit on Friday. World no. 7 couldn't pass the first obstacle at the season's first Masters 1000 event, experiencing a tough 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 loss to the young Finn Emil Ruusuvuori in two hours and four minutes.

After a slow start, the Finn stayed composed and had the upper hand in sets two and three, creating no less than 18 break chances and delivering six return games to control the pace and march over the finish line for his third Masters 1000 win.

Both players struggled on the second serve, and Ruusuvuori tamed his strokes more efficiently, earning his victory in the mid-range exchanges after having a clear advantage in the return games. The favorite made a strong start, sailing through his service games and earning three breaks for a commanding 6-1.

Emil lost serve in the first game thanks to a double fault and never looked like a player who would stop Alexander after losing serve in games three and seven. The German closed the set with a backhand down the line winner at 5-1, looking good to cross the finish line in no time.

Instead of that, he lost the ground completely from set number two, struggling in almost every service game and allowing the younger opponent to take charge. Ruusuvuori created massive 15 break points in the second set and delivered four consecutive breaks that gave him momentum ahead of the decider. Emil forged a 4-2 advantage and closed the set with a break in game nine, entering the final set as the favorite.

The Finn served well in the decider and mounted the pressure on the other side of the net, something Zverev couldn't endure. The German lost serve in the fourth game following the Finn's forehand winner and sealed his fate after a double fault at 1-4. Emil moved over the top with a forehand down the line winner in game seven for his second top-10 victory after beating Dominic Thiem in the Davis Cup two years ago.