With his coach Ivan Lendl looking on, the German exited in the last 16 in Beijing as the indefatigable Tunisian Jaziri won 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 6-4.

Zverev, 21, the second seed touted as a future multiple-time Grand Slam winner, reacted by whacking his racquet on the floor, bending it badly out of shape.

He then dished out more punishment, flinging it at his courtside chair as he trudged off.

The veteran Jaziri, 34, faces Nikoloz Basilashvili of Georgia in the last eight on Friday.

Fourth seed Fabio Fognini of Italy remains on course for a fourth title this season after he swatted away Russia’s Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-3.

Top seed Juan Martín del Potro plays unseeded Serbian Filip Krajinović and will be the strong favourite in the Chinese capital with Grigor Dimitrov and now Zverev both out.