Paris
Alexander Zverev advanced to the Paris Masters final for the first time by beating top-seeded Rafael Nadal 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday, denying Nadal the chance to win a tournament that continues to elude him.
The fourth-seeded Zverev faces No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final, and leads him 5-1 in career meetings.
Nadal has won 86 titles, including a record-equaling 20 Grand Slams and 35 Masters events, but lost his only final here in 2007 to David Nalbandian.
Serving for the match at an empty Bercy Arena because of the coronavirus pandemic, the imposing Zverev opened with his 13th ace.
He double-faulted on his first match point at 40-0. But 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.
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% of points on first serve compared to 60% for Nadal and led 9-1 in aces in that set. He clinched it with a sliced shot at the net which 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.—AP
