By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 21, 2021
Alexander Zverev battled back from 1-4 down in the final set stopping Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) to reach the Cincinnati final vs. Andrey Rublev.
Photo credit: Getty
Leaning on his Head racquet as if it were a cane, Alexander Zverev looked sick and staggered staring down a double-break deficit in the final set.
A determined Zverev dug in and made a stirring stand.
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Zverev battled back from 1-4 down in the decider subduing Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(4) in a phenomenal fight to reach his fourth final of the year in Cincinnati.
This semifinal popped with crackling rallies, superb shotmaking, some gamesmanship, acrimony—Zverev accused Tsitsipas of receiving illegal coaching via text when the Greek left the court for an eight-minute bathroom break—illness as the German briefly left the court to get sick and dizzying drama climaxing in the tiebreaker.
In the end, Zverev zapped four winners in the tiebreaker avenging his five-set Roland Garros semifinal loss to Tsitsipas.
Afterward, Zverev said it’s not the first time he’s felt Tsitsipas has used the bathroom break as a gamesmanship card.
“I’m somebody that likes to win and lose with tennis. I’ve always done that I’m very proud of that in my career,” Zverev told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj afterward. “I never take a medical timeout when I don’t need it. I never go to the bathroom when I don’t need it. I always try to play as fairly as possible and by the rules.
“Some people use it for their advantage The rules are very bendable I would say. I was a little frustrated because it did happen at the French Open already before the fifth set. It did happen in Acapulco as well so there was a little frustration but it’s all good. At the end of the day we’re two competitors and we’re trying to beat each other.”
Tsitsipas shot down suggestions of gamesmanship saying he leaves the court to change clothes and has no plans to stop the practice.
"It's not astrophysics. I'm heading towards the locker room to go change T-shirt," Tsitsipas said. "I don't think it would be very nice if I change shorts on the court in front of everybody. I prefer to do that in the locker room, including socks and shoes. I don't think there is anything crazy there.
"I'm a person that sweats a bit more than others. I think it's acceptable. Some people were teasing me and making fun of this, but it's just how it works for me. People have to understand. I'm not going to stop doing it, because it makes me feel better when I step out on the court to begin the new set."
Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev scored his 10th straight win setting up a Western & Southern Open final vs. Andrey Rublev, who beat top-seeded Daniil Medvedev for the first time 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 in today’s all-Russian semifinal. Zverev is 4-0 lifetime vs. Rublev sweeping all nine of their prior sets, but how will the 24-year-old German physically recover from tonight's draining duel?
"He's playing tennis of his life, I think beating Daniil, who is in incredible form right now. It's going to be of course a tough one but also a fun one," Zverev said of the final. "I have known Andrey since we were 11 years old. We have been pretty much best friends for a long period of time. It's great to see how long of a way we came and that we are kind of, you know, playing the biggest matches and competing for the biggest titles together."
A half hour into the match, Zverev showed the type of dynamic all-court tennis Tsitsipas is known for blocking a backhand reflex volley then flicking a fine forehand drop volley. Zverev waved his arms exhorting fans to make more noise as he powered through another hold for 5-3.
The US Open finalist fired his sixth ace to seal the 42-minute opening set. Zverev attacked both first and second serve and ripped his forehand with menace Tsitsipas left the court for a bathroom break carrying his Wilson racquet bag and while he was gone an angry Zverev dropped a bombshell telling the chair umpire the Greek took his phone with the bag and was probably receiving coaching via texting from his father, Apostolos, who happened to be court-side texting just as Zverev was griping.
“His dad is on his freaking phone now the whole time and it was the same thing in Paris and it’s going to be the same thing every other tournament he plays,” Zverev railed to the chair umpire.
“Alex this is not my authority…he knows the rules,” the chair responded.
After a near nine-minute break since the prior point, Tsitsipas returned deploying his first serve-and-volley to start the second set. Zverev punctuated a backhand pass with a shout as he earned a break point in the first game of the second set. Cornering the Greek on his backhand side, Zverev lashed a backhand down the line for a second break point. When Tsitsipas shanked a forehand, Zverev had the break and again encouraged the crowd to engage.
In position for a routine volley, Zverev botched it into net to face double break point. The third seed saved both then erased a third break point with a heavy forehand. Zverev thumped an ace down the T to back up the break.
Outplayed, Tsitsipas continued to battle elevating his intensity, while Zverev’s sharp edge dulled a bit. Tsitsipas drew successive errors breaking back for a shout to even it after four games.
Slapping a pair of midcourt shots into the tape, Zverev put his hands to his head facing break point in the sixth game. The German attacked, but Tsitsipas fired a forehand pass down the line snatching his fourth straight game for 4-2.
Tsitsipas rolled through six of the last seven games snatching the second-set to force a decider.
Adopting aggressive court positioning, Tsitsipas was stepping closer to the baseline driving through his forehand and pushing the US Open finalist further back behind the baseline. Zverev’s forehand failed him as he scrawled errors; Tsitsipas exploited it breaking in the third game.
Imposing his forehand with menace, Tsitsipas flicked a forehand winner crosscourt confirming the break at love for a 3-1 lead.
The heavy weight of Zverev’s drives diminished while his errors escalated in the third set. A relaxed Tsitsipas torched a crosscourt backhand for break point in the fifth game. Pushing the German back with a high-bounding backhand, Tsitsipas swept a forehand drive volley creating his fourth break for a 4-1 lead.
Zverev ended a crackling rally bolting a backhand winner down the line to break back in the sixth game. Hunching over, Zverev sat for a moment, left the court briefly apparently to get sick, then returned and resumed play.
Tsitsipas served for the final at 5-4, but Zverev won a punishing long point for break point and the Greek blinked with his third double fault to drop serve and level the set.
Reaching back for more on serve, Zverev zapped a 134 mph serve winner than rocketed three aces in a row holding for 6-5.
In a tense 12th game, Tsitsipas kept calm navigating a demanding deuce hold that spanned seven minutes to force the final tiebreaker.
Zverev jolted a deep return to provoke an error then slid another backhand down the line for a 5-3 tiebreaker lead. A stinging serve down the T brought Zverev three match points. When Tsitsipas’ final shot sailed it was over after two hours, 41 minutes.