Zverev looking for more commitment and attention from coach Lendl

Alexander Zverev is asking for more commitment from his coach, Ivan Lendl, as he gets back to competition following a first-round defeat at Wimbledon.

"We talked about it and I told him to concentrate on tennis more," Zverev was quoted saying by German wire agencies at a press conference in Hamburg.

Lendl's new dog is getting a lot of his attention, added Zverev, along with his coach's fondness for golf.

"Sometimes we go to the tennis court, the training is two hours long, and for half-an-hour he stands with his back to me talking about the way he played golf the morning before," Zverev said.

Zverev and Lendl began their partnership last summer, but Lendl did not accompany Zverev during this year's clay-court season and will not be in Hamburg. Zverev will be coached instead by his father, Alexander Sr., who guided him throughout much of his junior career.

But Zverev said he was still working with Lendl, though the exact tournament schedule is has yet to be solidified.

The world No. 5 also addressed his acrimonious split with agent Patricio Apey, which he had indicated played a part in his defeat at Wimbledon to Jiri Vesely. The two should reach some kind of agreement in the "next few days," Zverev said, though he has made similar statements since the split was announced a few months ago.

The 22-year-old may be having a tough season, but he did win a title, on clay in Geneva, in May, beating Nicolas Jarry in the final. He's the No. 2 seed in Hamburg and will play on Tuesday against Jarry.