ALEXANDER ZVEREV has been accused of cheating after allegedly using his phone on court for a second time.
TV footage shared below showed the German star, 22, rummaging around in his racket bag at a change of ends in his defeat by Stefanos Tsitsipas at the ATP Finals last night.
It is unclear if it was his mobile, another electronic device or something completely different.
Zverev, the world No 7 who was also accused of playing on his phone at last month’s China Open, later claimed it could have been an empty water bottle.
Electronic devices, including phones, are not allowed to be used on court under ATP and ITF regulations to prevent match-fixing and on-court coaching.
When quizzed on the incident in his press conference, the reigning ATP Finals champ – who is set to be punished if found guilty of using his phone – claimed he could not have been on his mobile because he did not have it with him.
Zverev – who smashed a ball into a cameraman last month – said: “My phone? My phone was in the locker room, actually.
“My phone was in the locker room. I always leave it there.
“I don’t know what they saw, but it was definitely not a phone.”
Asked what else it could have been, Zverev – who bashed his racket nine times in this year’s Australian Open – added: “A water bottle? Empty water bottle maybe?”
Zverev really said he was looking at a water bottle in his bag and not his phone, yet on two occasions his whole damn hand lit up
— Tanis (@Tanis95) November 13, 2019
It is possible that the object he was fiddling with was not a banned device, with some on social media suggesting it was an insulin-checking instrument.
But the scrolling motion with his thumb – shown before a graphic pops up on screen – makes it look very much as if he was on his phone.
Footage of a similar incident from last month’s tournament in Beijing was shared on social media last night.
Zverev was thrashed 6-3 6-2 by Greek Tsitsipas at the O2 in London.
But after beating Rafael Nadal in his opening match, Zverev can still qualify for the semi-finals as he looks to defend his title.
In his three previous matches here, Zverev completed the perfect hat-trick of seeing off Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Nadal but he was totally outplayed by Tsitsipas.
However, victory over Daniil Medvedev would guarantee a passage into the final four.
And even if he loses he could still advance, as long as he takes it to three sets and Tsitsipas sees off Nadal.
Zverev added: “I’m in the same situation I was last year, pretty much exactly the same. I lost the second match quite easily and didn’t play my best.
“But my chances are in my hands. I’m looking forward to it.”
