Between the occasional shout of 'let's' on a crowded headquarters, Sascha beasts could not be finally Raf beasts In Toronto even though at many times it was. The German, 28 years and world number 3he took strength of weakness on a thick day in the mental and the physical to touch his first 1000 Masters 1000 final Karen khachanov getting to have a match ball on the third set with 6-5 and 30-40. But the Russian could with the most peleona version of the Hamburg tennis player to impose himself for such a tight as climbing 6-3, 4-6 and 7-6 (4) in an intense duel of almost three hours with 2 hours and 52 minutes. Khachanov, 29 years old and number 16 of the ATP ranking, the title against Ben Shelton After his triumph against Taylor Fritz in the pulse of Americans (6-4 and 6-3).
Khachanov will have the opportunity to win a 1000 Masters for the first time from 2018when he won his first and only tournament in the category in Paris after defeating in the final Novak Djokovicthe only one of Masters 1000 that the Moscow tennis player had since played. In a tournament on this occasion without the Serbian and without Carlos Alcaraz in Jannik Sinner, Zverev appeared by ranking at the most favorite although the German has to leave with the confirm that the visit to Rafa Nadal And Uncle Toni in Mallorca is the beginning of another Sascha on the track: these semifinals are their best result in a 1000 masters so far this year.
Although he could not culminate a new comeback against the Russian with ties with Barcelona To put into practice the Manacorí advice until reaching the title, the Hamburg tennis player has applied almost to the letter what Rafa said to know how to compete and win badly. And it is that Zverev appeared to Toronto dragging a slab that was going to make it difficult to flow on the track between the month almost carried out without competing and his low encouragement after recognizing after his defeat in the first round of Wimbledon that he had never felt so empty.
In spite Toronto He is a better player.
“Yes, I am trying. In general I think that today I did not feel at my best level on the track, I did not play my best tennis. Also, the first set was terrible, so I gave him an advantage and he is too good to not use it. Cincinnati To try to do better, “Zverev reflected answering MD.
The German has not felt comfortable in most of this Canada Masters 1000 and as a reflection of it he had to curb in his debut against the Australian Adam Walton at his premiere (7-6 and 6-4), and managed to overcome Matteo Arnaldi and the current champion Alexei Popyrin Knowing how to suffer and play ugly as Nadal knew how to do. He could contain in this case the new spirit of the German Khachanov, who spent seasons in Barcelona training under the orders of Blanco Galo And he has in Pepo Clag, who worked with Feliciano Lópezone of its technicians. Khachanov also speaks perfect Spanish.
The Russian, with that right of mechanics so peculiar but flies, submitted Alexander Zverev, who survived as he could to the infernal rhythm imposed by Khachanov in the first set. The German, without the opportunity to break the player to the player of Moscowhe was constantly towing in the exchanges, hitting from too far back on the track in the face of the power and depth of Khachanov Zurriagazos although without being able to recover ground with short blows that stayed on the middle track.
Nadal got up in the middle of a dinner to teach Sascha how he wanted him to execute the right And, in that context of moscovita dominance, the German would have come from pearls something of that lifted right that allowed Rafa to keep his rivals still being pushed far beyond the bottom line.
To the inferiority in the Alexander Zverev game, his Body language The German and inexpressive further in contrast to the energetic and positive Sascha that had been seen during the week despite the adversities. After all, it made sense that the talented Hamburg player accumulated fatigue with so much matching coming from almost a month without competing.
“When I came here I didn't like conditions”
But that same Sascha resurfaced in the second set, capable of putting his rhythm and his tennis to the Khachanov and perhaps resonating in his mind those words of Nadal to know how to move forward the Bad days
Zverev also refreshed that challenge that the manacorí launched to be brave at the determining points, even in what is not done so well. The German began to make his weakness in the volleas fortress and with a rise to the network was like accelerated to the break with the 0-30 in the second manga in the always key tenth game (6-4). With a right cut to the limit, the exchange allowed to seal that 6-4 to the rest in white.
A new network adventure allowed German to caress the pass to the final with 30-40 and 6-5. But Khachanov dodged the bullet with a good serve and forced a tiebreak in which it was more consistent. His first victory against a Top-10 so far this year earned him access to his first final of a 1000 Masters in seven years with the powerful American jacket Ben Shelton waiting.
“When I came here I did not like conditions,” Khachanov joked referring to aspects such as the speed of the courts and the humid heat of Toronto. The Russian removed iron when being in his first Masters 1000 final in seven years.
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“There are always some statistics, but I do not pay much attention to be honest. Although some years have passed, at the same time during this period of time I have achieved other great results in Grand Slams”recalled the Moscovita, semifinalist of the US Open in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2023.
For its part, Alexander Zverev sets for Cincinnati with that always unpleasant feeling of a lost opportunity. But, where his game has not reached, that mental fortress that so many times he has lac Mallorca full of meaning. It was its end in Toronto, but this may be the beginning of a new Sascha Zverev.
