Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev: who reaches their first French Open final?
One triumphed in Monte Carlo, the other tasted victory in Madrid. On Friday, one will move within a victory of finishing their strong clay-court season with the crown jewel at Roland Garros.
UPDATE: Stefanos Tsitsipas has defeated Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, to reach his first Grand Slam final. The 22-year-old Greek was 0-3 in major semifinals before today.
We will have more on this match to come.
HIGHLIGHTS: Tsitsipas ends Medvedev's new romance with Paris
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Alexander Zverev
Nadal vs. Djokovic will be Friday’s main event, but this all-Next Gen bout will be a worthy warm-up. Zverev has dropped two sets and Tsitsipas one in their first five matches, but don’t let those numbers deceive you:
They’ve both been steamrolling their competition. Zverev has served well, rallied flawlessly, and gradually robbed his opponents of any hope that they can break through his baseline defenses. In his last two wins, over Kei Nishikori and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Zverev won the last two sets 6-1, 6-1 both times. If anything, Tsitsipas has been even better, because his competition has been tougher.
While Zverev has yet to face a seed, Tsitsipas has played three of them, No. 31 John Isner, No. 12 Pablo Carreño Busta, and No. 2 Daniil Medvedev. That comes on top of a breakout clay season in which he won a title and reached a final. After losing to him in the quarters, Medvedev said he knew that Tsitsipas had been playing well, but he was still surprised by how high his level was.
Tsitsipas has generally had Zverev’s number over the years—he’s 5-2 against him, and 1-0 on clay—but Zverev won their most recent meeting, on a hard court in the Acapulco final. Both guys appear to be on a mission to reach their first French Open final, but I think Tsitsipas’s all-court attack will make it a little more difficult for Zverev, who can’t afford to have a mediocre serving day. Winner: Tsitsipas