I was quite far from the zombie, but it didn't stop him from punching me

Expect:
Taking damage when punching at arm's length

Actual:
Taking damage when punching at 3-4 meters

Additional:
i had no internet problems, great connection, i play on servers close to me, no desync, no server load, no many people on the server. what i'm trying to say is i don't see any reason why zombies managed to hit me from a very long distance.