Zverev Surges Past Carreno Busta Into Miami Final
The German wunderkind does it again.
Alexander Zverev reached his third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory over Pablo Carreno Busta in the semi-finals of the Miami Open presented by Itau. The 20-year-old produced his finest tennis of the season to surge past his Spanish opponent in 1 hour, 28 minutes.
Zverev, who last season became the youngest player since Novak Djokovic to win multiple ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles in one season after triumphs in Rome and Montreal, looked comfortable in the cool night conditions on Crandon Park’s Stadium court, striking 30 winners to 21 unforced errors.
The German was dominant on serve, crushing 10 aces and winning a total of 78 per cent of service points in the match. Although Carreno Busta held his own on serve in the first set, he was unable to keep with Zverev’s relentless pressure on return and surrendered two breaks of serve in the match, both coming in the second set.
The first set was tightly contested, with both players trying to wrestle control of points from their preferred positions on the baseline. While Carreno Busta grinded away from the back of the court, looking to control points with his forehand when the opportunity arose, Zverev ruthlessly attacked with his backhand, pushing the 26-year-old Spaniard back and opening the court for a barrage of winners.
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The two contested a high-quality first set tie-break, with early momentum swinging Carreno Busta’s way, as he surged ahead 3/0 with an early mini-break. Zverev, however, raised his level to reclaim control, hitting a series of hot-shot backhands to eventually claim it in just under an hour. From there, it was smooth sailing for the World No. 5, who closed out victory with a service game to love, sealed with an ace.
"I tried to be more aggressive. I made some winners; made some backhand winners finally in the match and found my rhythm," said Zverev, reflecting on the tie-break. "I think after that, I started to play really well, not only in the tie-break but also the second set.
After a slow start to 2018, Zverev appears to be rounding into form. The final in Miami Open is his first of the season and first since winning the Rogers Cup title in Montreal in 2017. The win will see him rise to at least No. 4 in the ATP Rankings next week; should he win the title, he’ll return to his career-high ranking of No. 3, achieved last November.
"I'm happy where I am right now, and hopefully it will be another great match here and then I can go to the clay court season," said the German.
Zverev will face American John Isner, who overcame Juan Martin del Potro in two sets earlier in the day, in the final.
