Alexander Zverev offered a surprisingly critical assessment of his own serving after dispatching Cameron Norrie in the third round of the Australian Open.
Norrie's defeat brought an end to British involvement at Melbourne Park, with the 30-year-old the final player from these shores remaining in the draw.
The former British No 1 put up a determined fight throughout the tournament, battling through considerable challenges in his opening two matches. His first-round contest went the full distance in a gripping five-set encounter.
Facing last year's finalist proved too great an obstacle, though, with Zverev prevailing across four sets on John Cain Arena.
Speaking after his game, Zverev surprisingly admitted that he wasn't happy with his serve.
"I actually thought I was serving bad," the German admitted during his post-match interview.
However, the world No 3 identified his forehand as the key weapon in his victory over the British player.
Alexander Zverev consoles Cam Norrie at the net following his win at the Australian Open
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"I thought I was hitting my forehand quite big and quite well, so moving forward, I think that's the shot that's gonna make me win or make me lose," Zverev explained.
"If I'm hitting it that way and if I feel confident in that shot, it's always very important."
The crowd provided vocal backing for Norrie, who once again enjoyed strong support from fans in Australia during the contest.
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Five facts for tennis fans | GETTY/PAZverev was full of praise for his opponent following the victory, describing their encounter as the highest quality contest in their head-to-head history.
"Cameron, I thought I probably played the best match that we've ever played, just level-wise," the German said.
"And yeah, happy with the win and happy to move forward."
The third seed also reflected positively on his recent performances at Melbourne Park, noting that his previous two opponents had pushed him by producing excellent tennis.
The result extended Zverev's dominance over Norrie to seven consecutive victories, leaving the Briton still searching for a breakthrough against the former US Open finalist.
Despite the disappointment of his third-round exit, Norrie can depart Melbourne with considerable pride in another solid Grand Slam campaign where only a top seed ended his run.
Alexander Zverev is hoping to win the first Grand Slam title of his career at the Australian Open
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The trajectory marks a significant improvement from twelve months ago, when the Briton fell at the first hurdle against Matteo Berrettini.
That early defeat sparked an impressive sequence of major performances throughout 2025.
Novak Djokovic eliminated him in the fourth round at Roland Garros, while Carlos Alcaraz proved too strong in the Wimbledon quarter-finals. Djokovic then defeated him again at Flushing Meadows in round three.
The pattern suggests Norrie remains capable of competing at the highest level.