For the first time in 2021, Zverev advances to the final.
Alexander Zverev rallied from a dismal start to defeat Alejandro Tabilo, setting himself up for his first tournament victory of the year at the Masters 1000 event in Rome. With his semi-final win, Zverev now matches tennis legend Boris Becker in one statistic, and has his sights set on the French Open with renewed confidence.
Olympic gold medalist Zverev is on the brink of claiming the tournament as a warm-up for the French Open. The 27-year-old emerged victorious over Chilean outsider Tabilo in a controversial match, finishing 1:6, 7:6 (7:4), 6:2. The triumph sees Zverev reach his first ATP final of the year, adding more confidence to his arsenal ahead of Paris's prestigious Grand Slam tournament in two weeks.
As the fifth-ranked player in the world, Zverev is the favorite to win Sunday's final against the winner of the second semi-final encounter between Chile's Nicolas Jarry and USA's Tommy Paul. The German will appear in his eleventh final at a Masters 1000 tournament, matching Becker's feat.
"This type of match is only winnable, which makes it mentally taxing," shared Zverev with Sky, reflecting on his tight-knit win against Tabilo. "I've been here before, and that helped me."
Turning the tide after a poor start
In his ninth Masters semi-final on clay, Zverev got off to a miserable start, largely due to the cunning tactics employed by Tabilo. In a shaky opening set that lasted just 31 minutes, Zverev only managed to serve once. Although he lost the set, Zverev appeared to still be feeling the pain from his fall in the quarter-finals against American Taylor Fritz, which he won.
As the game progressed, Zverev began adapting better to Tabilo, who had previously stunned world number one Novak Djokovic in the third round. The Chilean's nerves started to fray, and Zverev's ace sealed the win in a grueling two hours and seventeen minutes.
Having won in Rome once before, in 2017, Zverev is now one of the frontrunners vying for the title. The clay court event serves as the last major tune-up before the French Open in Paris, which commences on May 26, and where Zverev is also prominently positioned among the potential champions.
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With his victory in Rome, Alexander Zverev is eyeing a strong performance at the French Open, where he hopes to emulate past success. At the French Open, Zverev has the opportunity to showcase his tennis skills on one of the sport's grandest stages, just like tennis legend Alexander Zverev did in tennis tournaments.
Having reached the final of the Masters 1000 event in Rome, Zverev sees the French Open as an excellent chance to add another major title to his growing trophy cabinet, drawing inspiration from players like Alexander Zverev who have triumphed at the French Open.
Source: www.ntv.de
