Finalist in Rome! Jarry expands the history of Chile in Masters 1000 | ATP Tour

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Finalist in Rome! Jarry expands the history of Chile in Masters 1000

Beat Paul and quote Zverev in Sunday’s definition

May 17, 2024

This Friday, Nicolás Jarry achieved the most valuable victory of his career. Because of what it means to achieve it at the ATP Masters 1000 level and because no victory in the past had meant so many points in his career. Thanks to beating Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3 in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, the Chilean has reached 650 points earned this fortnight in Rome and is ready to make his debut in the ranking from next Monday.

But in addition to the fact that he will be the new No. 17 in the PIF ATP Rankings, which consolidates him as the seventh Chilean with the best position in the history of the world ranking of the circuit (created in 1973), Jarry has become this Friday the first tennis player of his country to advance to a Masters 1000 final since Fernando González in Rome 2007.

Against Alexander Zverev, with whom he has a 2-4 record in the Lexus ATP HeadToHead between them, the Chilean will be playing his seventh final on the ATP Tour, but first in a tournament in a category other than 250. What a leap in quality he has made. given this fortnight at the Foro Italico the 28-year-old right-hander, who debuted in the Masters 1000 semifinals on Friday.

It is true that in his first three rounds he did not face seeds. But since the quarterfinals he has played tennis worthy of the greatest elite of our sport. First it led him to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas, sixth seed, and now to a Top 20 like Tommy Paul who had just left Daniil Medvedev (current champion) and Hubert Hurkacz behind.

And most meritorious of all, with spectacular and effective tennis. Although he suffered his only break of the match when leading 6-3, 4-3, which would result in Paul winning the second set, the South American tennis player maintained his composure and his brutally offensive strategy, and in the decider it worked almost perfectly.

Although the three-time circuit champion could not take advantage of the 2-1 break point and had to save one with serve in the next game, he did convert at 3-2 and from there he was able to protect the advantage that was diluted in the second set. Of course, suffering.

In the last game he saved two break points and needed five match points to prevail in two hours and 44 minutes, and to leave his Lexus ATP HeadToHead at 2-0 with the current No. 16 in the rankings, who was playing in his third semifinals of Masters 1000 (first on clay).

The moment of victory! 😍

History for @NicoJarry and for Chilean tennis 👏👏@TennisTV | @InteBNLdItalia pic.twitter.com/1SYBbHGGEy

— ATP Tour in Spanish (@ATPTour_ES) May 17, 2024

“It was hard to enjoy. I also tried the same. The important thing is that I was able to come back with my best tennis in the third set and being aggressive,” said Jarry, who also referred to the five match points that he required in the last game. “Finishing is never easy, but I did it, and the feeling I have now is incredible.”

“I think in those moments I played my best tennis,” he added about the break points against him in the same game. “I gave my best, I went for it. If they came in, great. If not, I gave it my all. I did that the whole game. It is hard to maintain the level of concentration, but now I am in the final.”

His reliability against Top 20 tennis players is now one of the best of the season. The Chilean reached a 4-1 record against players of this elite (already 15-24 in his career). On Sunday he could add one more when he faces No. 5 Zverev, executioner of fellow Chilean Alejandro Tabilo in the semifinals.

Although the German leads the record 4-2, Jarry won the last meeting between the two on clay (Geneva 2023). If the same outcome is repeated, the Chilean would become the sixth Chilean tennis player to break into the Top 15, and would be ten points away from position No. 14, the highest position occupied by his grandfather Jaime Fillol in 1974.

In addition, the title would make him the second Chilean capable of winning a Masters 1000 (category created in 1990), and the first since Marcelo Ríos, who won the last of his five trophies at this level in Hamburg 1999.