ATP’s number two number two won 6-4 and 6-3 zverev, number three, which played the last fitness physically under the strong heat and moisture in Cincinnati (Ohio); Sinner surpassed Atmane
The Spaniard surpassed on Saturday (16) the semifinals of Cincinnati’s Masters 1000 in front of a physically weakened Alexander Zverev and will compete for the title against his great rival, Italian Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz, number two in the ATP ranking, won 6-4 and 6-3 zverev, number three, which played the last fittings physically under the strong heat and moisture in Cincinnati (Ohio).
“It’s never easy to play against someone who doesn’t feel one hundred percent and for me it’s even harder to do it against Sascha,” said Alcaraz. “He is a great player and a great person, we have a great relationship.” “We started the match very well, good rally, high level, but suddenly he started to feel bad,” he said.
“My focus was on how he felt instead of focusing on my game. It was a very difficult situation and I wish him the best.” The former number a World Cup will fight on Monday for his first Cincinnati Masters 1000 title after the 2023 lost final against Novak Djokovic. Since April, Alcaraz has been with seven consecutive tournaments reaching the final.
Three of these finals were against, with two wins from Spanish in the clay of the Masters 1000 of Rome and Roland Garros and the latest Italian victory in Wimbledon’s grass. “I look forward to playing against him again,” said Alcaraz. “Thanks to him I show my best sneakers, and for the public it’s also great because we take to the limit. I’m ready for the challenge.”
This Saturday, the Spaniard faced his biggest test of the Zverev tournament, which had six wins advantage in 11 previous duels. However, the diabetic German reached his second semifinal followed by Masters 1000 amid doubts due to the malaise suffered in the quarterfinals against Ben Shelton when he had dizziness and difficulty breathing.
On the court until the end
Alcaraz took over the first set showing his best withdrawal version and with greater effectiveness in the decisive moments. After interruption of the game to attend a viewer, Zverev had three chances of breaking, but Alcaraz managed to escape unharmed.
The Spaniard, on the other hand, took advantage of his opportunity to break with a brave climb to the net and kept his service to close the set, sealed with his ninth Ace. Alcaraz struck again by breaking the withdrawal of a zverev withdrawal that was already beginning to show signs of malaise but, in an unexpected turn, allowed the German to recompose himself with a brief blackout.
Changing three pairs consecutive fouls, Alcaraz handed the first break to the German, who still won another game as he made brief pauses resting on the racket or sitting on the court. Zverev then received medical attention and was briefly to the locker room, but on returning he was still limited in the rally.
The referee of chair then granted him another break to change tennis, but Zverev never recovered his breath and barely managed to stay on the court just to avoid leaving the match.
Birthday of the day, Sinner wins Atmane and is in the final
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, number 1 in the world, beat Frenchman Térence Atmane (n.136) on Saturday (16) and qualified for Cincinnati’s Masters 1000 final. Sinner closed the game in 2 sets to 0, with partials of 7-6 (7/4) and 6-2, in one hour and 26 minutes.
The Italian, who turned 24 on Saturday, goes to the final in two days to fetch his second title followed in Cincinnati. His opponent will leave the duel between Spanish Carlos Alcaraz (n.2) and the German Alexander Zverev (n.3).
Sinner had more work than expected against the dangerous Atmane, revelation of the tournament after leaving Qualifying and eliminating two members of ATP Top 10, American Taylor Fritz (n.4) and Dane Holger Rune (n.9).
The Frenchman began to surprise from the court access tunnel when he handed the Sinner a Pokémon letter as a birthday gift, which the Italian received with a smile and a hug. Atmane put to the test the world’s number 1 nerves in a high quality first set, in which neither of the two tennis players suffered a break and Sinner only managed to close at Tie Break.
The second partial was less stressful for the Italian, after breaking Atmane’s service for the first time in the fourth game. Sinner, in turn, amended his 26th consecutive victory in hard court games and reached a total of 200 in his career on this surface with 49 losses.
*With information from AFP
Posted by Carol Santos
