Madrid: Germany’s Alexander Zverev looked every bit a serious French Open title contender as he crushed clay court specialist Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4 in the Madrid Open tennis tournament, here Sunday night.
Oddly the 21-year-old World No.3 is yet to progress past the last 16 of a Grand Slam but he now has three Masters 1000 titles to his name and against Thiem played with a swagger that suggests that his record in the Majors will improve soon.
The second seed broke a nervy-looking Thiem in the opening game thanks to a double-fault and was never really challenged as he produced a clinical serving display in which he did not even offer up a breakpoint.
Zverev broke again right at the start of the second but squandered the chance of a double-break two games later as Thiem, conqueror of Rafael Nadal in the last eight, hung on.
There was no chance of a let-up from Zverev though and he remained focused throughout, winning on his first match point when his Austrian opponent returned long.
Zverev becomes only the fifth active player to win at least three Masters 1000 titles – joining the ‘big four’ of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray.
“Hopefully I can continue this kind of streak in Rome,” Zverev, who is the defending champion there, told reporters. “Winning two titles in two weeks is great. Winning a Masters, another Masters, is unbelievable.”
