Alexander Zverev makes a false start, but then finds his game and makes it to the final in Rome. The German is in top form ahead of the French Open
Olympic tennis champion Alexander Zverev is just one step away from his first tournament win of the year – and a week and a half before the start of the French Open, he is clearly in Grand Slam form. The third seed from Hamburg beat Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 1:6, 7:6 (7:4), 6:2 in the semi-finals of the Masters in Rome thanks to a significant improvement in performance.
Zverev will play Tabilo’s compatriot Nicolas Jarry or the American Tommy Paul in the final on Sunday. Zverev’s last tournament victory dates back to last September, when he celebrated his 21st title on the tour in Chengdu, China. The world number five last won a Masters in 2021, triumphing in Rome in 2017 for the first and so far only time. This is the third time he has reached the final in the Eternal City and the eleventh time at Masters level – more than Boris Becker
Zverev loses first set in just 32 minutes – then the comeback follows
Zverev lost the first set against Tabilo, the number 32 in the ATP rankings, and had to concede the set after just 32 minutes. In the second set, Germany’s number one finally found his dominant baseline game nine days before the start of the French Open, but the first duel with the one year younger left-hander Tabilo remained close.
Zverev kept his cool in the tie-break and celebrated winning the set like a match victory. In the third set, he left no doubt about his success and celebrated his entry into the final with a long cry of joy
The path to triumph in Rome seems to be paved for Zverev. World number one Novak Djokovic and the number two seed, Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, were eliminated early. Local hero Jannik Sinner and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz had also withdrawn from the tournament in Rome due to ailments