Fearnley falls short against second seed Zverev

Britain's Jacob Fearnley saw his encouraging Australian Open tally travel to an extremity against German 2nd effect Alexander Zverev successful the 3rd round.

The 23-year-old Briton, playing successful his archetypal overseas Grand Slam tournament, mislaid 6-3 6-4 6-4 successful Melbourne.

Fearnley, ranked 92nd, earned nonstop introduction into the archetypal large of play connected the backmost of a meteoric emergence successful 2024.

After beating an injured Nick Kyrgios successful a rowdy first-round atmosphere, helium acceptable up the clash against Zverev with different awesome triumph implicit France's Arthur Cazaux.

While the Scot held his ain for astir of the contest, Zverev's greater consistency was capable to spot him done to the 4th round.

"Jacob is an unthinkable player, helium went done each the stages - going to university, playing Futures, Challengers - and present helium is playing connected the large stage," said Zverev.

"I person monolithic respect for him. He volition get amended implicit the adjacent fewer years."

Fearnley's decision leaves his puerility rival Jack Draper arsenic the lone Briton near successful the men's singles draw.

Draper, seeded 15th, plays Australia's Aleksandar Vukic astatine astir 21:00 section clip (10:00 GMT) connected Friday.

Twelve months ago, Fearnley was inactive a assemblage pupil successful the United States and playing tournaments connected the third-tier ITF World Tour.

While each eyes were connected the stars astatine Melbourne Park, helium was celebrating winning an M25 rubric successful Luxembourg.

Now, having climbed into the world's apical 100 successful 1 of fastest rises connected the ATP Tour, Fearnley is connected an adjacent footing with the precise best.

Causing a seismic daze would person seen Fearnley go lone the seventh antheral to scope the Melbourne past 16 connected his debut.

Zverev is 1 of the biggest servers successful the crippled and it was small astonishment that Fearnley, contempt being a crisp returner, could not initially get into his opponent's work games.

There was small quality betwixt the brace successful a choky archetypal acceptable and Fearnley losing his service to emotion successful the sixth crippled was decisive.

A worrying motion was Fearnley gingerly moving betwixt points towards the extremity of the acceptable with what looked to beryllium a little backmost issue.

After Zverev secured the lead, Fearnley disappeared disconnected tribunal for a aesculapian time-out and helium returned looking much astatine ease.

He was incapable to instrumentality 2 interruption points successful the 2nd crippled and looked to person paid the terms erstwhile Zverev broke for a 4-2 lead.

Staying unfazed is 1 of the Scot's biggest strengths and helium responded with an assertive returning crippled to deed consecutive back.

However, helium was breached again instantly and Zverev confidently served retired to instrumentality a two-set lead.

Those lapses of attraction connected the unusual work crippled besides proved costly successful the 3rd set.

While helium took Zverev's service for a 2nd clip to level astatine 2-2, Fearnley could not prolong his level oregon absorption and was breached successful the adjacent crippled for a pb which Zverev would not relinquish.