Alexander Zverev on Saturday advanced to the Paris Masters final for the first time by beating top-seeded Rafael Nadal 6-4, 7-5, denying Nadal the chance to win a tournament that continues to elude him.
The fourth-seeded Zverev was to face No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in yesterday’s final, leading him 5-1 in career meetings.
All of the semi-finalists stood to win this tournament for the first time, but it will not be Nadal.
Photo: AFP
Although he has won 86 titles in his glittering career, including a record-equaling 20 Grand Slams and 35 Masters events, he lost his only final in Paris in 2007 to David Nalbandian.
Serving for the match at an empty Bercy Arena because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the imposing Zverev opened with his 13th ace.
He double-faulted on his first match point at 40-0.
However, on the next one, Nadal’s forehand down the line went wide to give the 23-year-old German only his second win in seven matches against the Spanish veteran.
“I have just beaten Rafa, so that is never easy to do,” Zverev said. “I think the whole world will agree with me on that.”
Nadal was broken to love in the third game and dropped the opening set for the third time in his four matches.
Zverev won 78 percent of points on first serve compared with 60 percent for Nadal and led 9-1 in aces in that set. He clinched it with a sliced shot at the net that Nadal could not reach.
“He’s in the final serving huge. I think I returned better than the other days, but was impossible at the beginning. He was serving bombs and hitting the right spots all the time,” Nadal said. “So I decided to go eight meters behind the baseline later on in the match and I think worked better for me.”
Zverev broke Nadal again in the third game of the second set.
A frustrated Nadal punched his racket head when he failed to convert two break points in the sixth game, but held his nerve to save four break points in the next game and then finally broke Zverev to make it 4-4.
However, an erratic and agitated Nadal was conceding too many chances on his serve and, after Zverev broke him for a third time, he sat shaking his head during the changeover.
Despite his loss, Nadal said: “It has been a positive tournament for me. Of course not happy about the loss, but that’s part of the game.”
“I spent hours on court. Of course I wanted to win the tournament, but it’s always difficult, but I had the right attitude during the whole event, I think, fighting in every match,” he said. “That gave me the chance to play four matches that I think will be helpful for London. I need to adjust a couple of things, but I am doing well on all the important things.”
Earlier, Medvedev reached the Paris Masters final for the first time after beating Milos Raonic 6-4, 7-6 (4) in a contest between big servers. He secured the win with a smash at the net.
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