Craziness in Melbourne continues as Mischa Zverev knocks off Murray

What, may we ask, is in the water Down Under?

One of the wildest first weeks of a Grand Slam in recent memory got even wilder on Sunday when 50th-ranked Mischa Zverev stunned world No. 1 Andy Murray, 7-5, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, in the fourth round of the Australian Open.

With six-time champion Novak Djokovic exiting in the second round at the hands of Denis Istomin, Murray seemed primed to win his first Australian Open title. But the 29-year-old Zverev, who had never been past the third round at a major prior to this tournament, had other ideas. He played attacking tennis, going to the net and forcing the issue, and it clearly threw the top seed off his game. Zverev, a lefty, was mostly in control from the get-go with his serve and volleying, and Murray couldn’t quite figure out how to adjust and swing the momentum back in his favor.

"I believed in myself," Zverev told reporters after the match. "I believed in my game. I believed that playing serve and volley against him and slicing a lot, trying to destroy his rhythm, was going to work, which it did in the end."

Zverev won an astounding 65 of his 118 points at the net.

"Honestly, I don't know—it was like [I was] in a little coma,” the journeyman told Jim Courier in his post-match interview. “Just serve and volleying my way through it ... Honestly, there were a few points where I didn't know how I pulled it off."

According to the Associated Press, it’s the first time since 2002 that the top two seeds at the Australian Open have been eliminated before the quarterfinals. The last time it happened at a Slam was in 2004, at the French Open.

Murray has played brilliantly at Melbourne Park during his career, but the title has long eluded him. The Scot, a five-time finalist in Australia, was regarded by many as the favorite coming into the season’s first Slam.

Instead, the disappointment—and the drought—continues.

"Yeah, I'm obviously down about it," Murray said. "...I've had tough losses in my career in the past. I've come back from them. This is a tough one. I'm sure I'll come back OK from it. But right now I'm obviously very down because I wanted to go further in this event, and it wasn't to be."

With Djokovic out, Murray will retain the No. 1 ranking regardless of what happens in the second week.

Zverev—whose younger brother, 19-year-old Alexander, narrowly missed ousting Rafael Nadal on Saturday in a five-set classic—is in uncharted territory. It won’t get any easier in the next round, as he’ll have to fend off 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer for a spot in the semifinals.

The highest-ranked player left in the draw is No. 3 Milos Raonic, who has never won a Grand Slam.