Zverev arrives at SF in Paris and leaves Tsitsipas out of Turin | ATP Tour

Paris

Zverev arrives at SF in Paris and leaves Tsitsipas out of Turin

The German reached the final of the tournament in 2018

November 01, 2024

Alexander Zverev continues to spread authority on the indoor court. The German climbed this Friday to the semifinals of the Rolex Paris Masters, where he can complete a message of strength in the final stretch of the season. The last ATP Masters 1000 on the calendar also hides an obvious opportunity: to gain muscle before launching in just a few days to conquer the Nitto ATP Finals.

The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings forced himself to suffer in a prodigious match, beating Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 6-4 with minimal differences. Zverev took advantage of a sleeve break to dismantle his rival, surpassed by the German’s security in each blow. If the indoor court offers a guarantee on the first shot, Alexander took advantage of the circumstance impeccably to achieve victory intact with his serve.

“I think he had a great level throughout the match,” Zverev said. “He came out brave and had good chances of breaking me at the beginning. Maybe not in terms of breaking balls but at the level of the game. I entered the game, found my rhythm and I have been feeling more and more comfortable. I am happy with victory.”

The authority of the Hamburg player was especially firm in the second set, which he caught, giving up just two points on serve. After overcoming the obstacle of Tallon Griekspoor and resisting the pressure in three sets against the local Arthur Fils, Zverev drew the strongest match of the week to dress as a candidate.

“I felt like he could hit the ball very hard. Against him, if you just push it, you’re going to end up paying dearly,” Zverev said of Tsitsipas. “He is a player who can be very aggressive with his right, he can take a step forward. I am happy that I was able to avoid it.”

The triumph in Paris also had historical significance in the gold category of the ATP Tour. Zverev became the eighth player capable of reaching 20 semifinals in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, following in Novak’s footsteps Djokovic (78), Rafael Nadal (76), Roger Federer (66), Andy Murray (33), Andre Agassi (32), Pete Sampras (31) y Andy Roddick (20).

Apart from the milestone, Paris-Bercy is one of the events marked in red on the German’s calendar. With a record of 15-6 in the tournament, including the final played in 2018, Zverev grits his teeth in an event that can add to his record. The German is looking for his fifth different ATP Masters 1000 trophy this week, after touching glory in Madrid, Rome, Canada and Cincinnati throughout his career.

The horizon presents a demanding scenario for the German, who is seeking his second ATP Tour title of the year after winning the Rome Masters 1000 in May. Zverev will play the semifinals in Paris against former champion Holger Rune, who beat Australian Alex de Minaur 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

The Dane maintains qualification options for the Nitto ATP Finals. Currently located at No. 13 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, Rune narrowed his distance from the cutoff position currently set by De Miñaur himself to 720 points. If he wins the title in Paris, the Dane could rise to tenth position and be 120 units away from the threshold to access Turin.

For his part, Tsitsipas saw his qualification options for the Nitto ATP Finals annulled. The Greek, who needed to reach the final in Paris to maintain hope, is ranked No. 11 in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. Stefanos was champion in 2019 and had qualified in the last five editions of the tournament that ends the season.

Did you know that…?
Alexander Zverev aspires to become the second German champion of the Rolex Paris Masters in individual mode. The one from Hamburg, who will play his third semi-final in the tournament, aspires to follow in the footsteps of his compatriot Boris Becker, winner of the 1986, 1989 and 1992 editions under the cover of the French capital.