Diego Schwartzman (32nd) knew how to be the eighth best player in the world back in October 2020. But it’s been a while since El Peque fails to show the level that led him to the tennis elite and, following almost three years, this Monday He stopped being the best Argentine tennis playersurpassed by Francisco closing it (30°). In it Argentina Openhe might not change his sensations inside the field of play either and he lost conclusively 6-1 and 6-3 once morest Bernabé Zapata Miralles (74th). Why can’t he raise his head?
How was the match between Schwartzman and Zapata Miralles
With the stadium completely in his favor, the weather was the best for the Argentine tennis player who gave his fans so much joy. Los “Come on, Diego” y “Come on, Peck”or any of its variants, were common currency at Guillermo Vilas. However, from the start, everything was for the Spaniard: two breaks up to go up 4-0. Diego recovered a break, but gave up his serve once more and Zapata Miralles, of a high level, closed it 6-1. El Peque looked astonished at his work team, not understanding how the set went so quickly.
The second sleeve began the same as the first: two breaks in favor of Zapata to get 3-0, but when he had to confirm the second, Peque broke. He immediately lost his serve once more and the Spaniard got 5-1. After holding his serve, he was able to keep his rival’s serve despite having had a match point once morest and the people sang the “Come on, Little, come on, lay eggs that we won”. When he had to confirm to put the pressure on Bernabé once more, he suffered a new break and the match is over.
What Schwartzman said following being eliminated at the Argentina Open
“It’s difficult to find an explanation for the game and the moment. The level is very low, I can’t be competitive Neither with the help of the people nor with some mistake from the rival. It is the reality, today the level is very low and I have to lose games that I used to win. I’m having a hard time finding an explanation, that’s where the uncertainty I’m playing with comes from.”, Diego explained.
Then he added: “Every day I continue to do it the same way, I don’t understand why, but nothing is coming out of what used to happen to me on the pitch. I think that’s the explanation, you don’t have to turn it around. My level is far below what I can give. If you play at this level, you lose. Unfortunately I am losing with scores that deepen the bad feelings and it is difficult. Today I am standing on a cloud that I don’t know where it will go”.
In closing, he said: “Neither I nor my team found the explanation, that’s where the uncertainty comes from. The training sessions won’t be the best, but they are far from the level I show on the field. I lost several places in the ranking because it is the tour where I always win. There are two more tournaments left and the truth is I don’t know what is best for me, whether to go and compete or stop for a few days. I do not know anymore. I am in a complicated uncertainty when it comes to competing that is costing me”.
Why Schwartzman does not find his best level and was eliminated from the Argentina Open
Diego Schwartzman won one of his last 12 matches. So far this year, at the Córdoba Open and in New Zealand he lost in his debut, while in Australia he fell in the second round. Now the fall in his first ATP match in Buenos Aires was added, where he defended the 2022 final.
A couple of days earlier, at a press conference, Schwartzman confessed following coming off a tough defeat at the Córdoba Open once morest Juan Manuel Cerúndolo 7-6 (6) and 6-1: “In the second set I didn’t get angry at any time and that’s where I’m wrong. I need to have that adrenaline of getting angry to react, because that’s where my best level always came from”. That’s where Diego’s problem lies, not being able to ignite that internal fire that allows him to concentrate and go for everything.
“Every time I was playing a little better, I made easy mistakes. I missed three or four returns between the first and second serve, they are things that arouse insecurities and make the level not finish appearing”he added to the explanation. Against Zapata Miralles, he made many unforced errors, for which he did not stop looking at the ground and grumbling facing his bench.
“Neither I nor anyone thought that I was going to achieve what I did. What can I criticize regarding my career? Being 32 in the world? It’s spectacular. There is no room for criticism, I look inside and I can play better or worse -today I’m not playing well-, but there’s nothing wrong with it”closed Schwartzman, who is aware of being far from his best level, but knows that to recover lost confidence there is no other option than to continue working.
