Tennis
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Zverev wins the Masters title in Cincinnati for the first time
Alexander Zverev returns the punch. Photo: Darron Cummings/AP/dpa
Cincinnati Shortly before the start of the US Open, Alexander Zverev won the Masters Championships in Cincinnati. He was born in Hamburg and dominated the final against Andrei Rublev of Russia from the start.
Olympic champion Alexander Zverev won the Masters in Cincinnati and is one of the candidates for the upcoming US Open.
The Hamburg native won the final on Sunday with 6:2, 6:3 against Andrei Rublev of Russia. In 1985, Boris Becker was responsible for the only German men’s success in Cincinnati. “I won my first game here four days ago, and now I have the title. It was an incredible week,” said Zverev, who lost all matches in the main draw in Cincinnati prior to this edition of the tournament.
Seventeenth championship win for Zverev
It is Zverev’s 17th win in the championship and fifth in a Masters competition. Against his longtime friend Rublev, the 24-year-old decided to compromise his fifth and stayed against him without losing a set. The 23-year-old, seventh in the world rankings from Moscow, missed his first victory in a tournament in the second most important category.
Zverev had everything under control against the Olympic champion in the mixed from the start. After a quick 4-0 lead, the first set ended after just 28 minutes. Zverev also opened the second round with a break as the fifth in the world rankings successfully attacked his opponent’s second serve. Overall, Zverev looked fitter after the grueling semi-final between the two. Although he gave up his serve for the first time at 5:2, Zverev won safely after less than an hour of play.
The men’s event earned more than $4.8 million and was the last major test before the US Open. The season’s final Grand Slam tournament begins in New York in a week. Zverev reached the final there last year and narrowly missed his first Grand Slam title.
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