[ad_1]
PARIS – Alexander Zverev advanced to the final of the Paris Masters for the first time by beating top seed Rafael Nadal, 6-4, 7-5, on Saturday, denying Nadal a chance to win a tournament that continues to elude him.
Fourth-seeded Zverev faces No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in Sunday’s final and leads him 5-1 in career games. Zverev is seeking his fourth Masters title and 14th overall, while 2019 US Open runner-up Medvedev is seeking his third Masters crown, his eighth career title and his first this year.
“We are not going to give each other anything tomorrow and we will see who can win. I’m looking forward to it, ”said Zverev. “I think we are both very hungry, it will be our first title here.”
All the semifinalists were ready to win this tournament for the first time, but it will not be Nadal.
Although he has won 86 titles in his brilliant career, including 20 Grand Slams and 35 Masters events that equal a record, he lost his only final here in 2007 to David Nalbandian.
Serving for the match in an empty Bercy Arena due to the coronavirus pandemic, the towering Zverev opened with his 13th ace.
He double faulted on his first match point at 40-0. But in the next, Nadal’s right hand down the line widened to give the 23-year-old German just his second win in seven games against the veteran Spanish.
“I just beat Rafa so it’s never easy to do,” Zverev said. “I think everyone will agree with me on that.”
Nadal broke in love in the third game and lost the first set for the third time in his four matches. Zverev won 78% of first serve points compared to Nadal’s 60% and led 9-1 in aces in that set. He finished it off with a shot cut to the net that Nadal couldn’t reach.
“He is in the final serving huge. I think I came back better than the other days, but at first it was impossible. He was serving bombs and hitting the right places all the time, ”Nadal said. “So I decided to go eight meters behind the baseline later in the game and I think it worked better for me.”
Zverev broke Nadal again in the third game of the second set.
A frustrated Nadal hit 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 eventually broke Zverev to make it 4-4.
But an erratic and agitated Nadal was conceding too many chances with his serve and, after Zverev broke it for the third time, he sat down shaking his head during the changeover.
Earlier, Medvedev reached the final of the Paris Masters for the first time after beating Milos Raonic, 6-4, 7-6 (4), in a contest between great servers. He secured victory with a hit on the net.
The 10th-seeded Raonic never won a Masters event and missed a second final here, losing to Novak Djokovic in 2014. The Canadian had 12 aces compared to Medvedev’s seven and both players won around 80% of their points. in the first. it serves.
“I don’t think it was the best tennis I’ve played this year, but it was definitely one of the best matches,” Medvedev said. “He was playing well at the beginning of the year, and then there was a stoppage (due to the pandemic).”
Raonic missed an opportunity in the second set when Medvedev saved three break points at 0-40 down in the eighth game, but Raonic eventually broke it on his fourth break point in the 12th game to make it 6-6.
“I think at some key moments he found a way to be a little more aggressive. He was dictating a bit more, he was trying to change the pace, ”Raonic said. “He was much more efficient in creating opportunities.”
Medvedev took a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker and sealed the victory on his first match point.
