ATP Masters in Rome, Final, Sunday, 19.05.2024
He’s going for his first title of the season! Alexander Zverev has made it to the final of the Rome Masters and wants to win the tournament for the second time since 2017. His chances? They are good!
Our bookmakers believe that if he keeps his nerves in check, he should have few problems against Nicolas Jarry on Sunday. But beware: the Chilean has knocked out more than just one big-name opponent.
There are two big, very strong players facing each other, both of whom should know how to make the other one sweat.
The service is also a decisive criterion for me in my Zverev Jarry tip, which is why I have the following bet in mind: We’ll see at least one tiebreak!
Two round of 16, one quarter-final? No, it wasn’t the start to the clay court season that Alexander Zverev had hoped for! The Olympic champion and the red clay are not the best of friends, but they are getting closer and closer together.
That this is the case can now be seen in Rome. The Hamburg-born player already won the Masters in 2017 and can now secure his second title. What did his performances look like, were they solid or so strong that a defeat in the final can’t really be?
In the end, it was a mixture of both. Zverev started with a 6-0, 6-4 against Aleksandar Vukic, followed by a 7-6, 6-2 against Luca Darderi. The world number 4 also had no problems at all in his 6-2, 7-5 win over Nuno Borges.
The toughest opponent awaited Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals: Taylor Fritz. Two very strong players faced each other on serve, but in the end it was a surprisingly clear affair for the German
Zverev prevailed 6-4, 6-3, not giving Fritz a single chance to break! He took three out of five himself and knew that he had conceded one break in four matches, so it could go on like this.
The first of two Chileans was finally waiting in the semi-finals. Alejandro Tabilo played a really strong match, but in the end Zverev only wobbled briefly. 1-6, 7-6, 6-2, his entry into the final was fully deserved.
Zverev got stronger with every rally, but: points won, points won on serve, service games won, the German was well aware that his opponent was better in these statistics.
However, we also found out over the course of the tournament: This Tabilo had won a few rounds earlier against Novak Djokovic! In this respect, I’ll give Alexander Zverev credit for having some slight difficulties
In 2018, when he reached the final in Rome for the second time, he lost to Rafael Nadal, but he doesn’t want to allow himself another defeat. He is up against an opponent who has already faced him six times.
The German, who won two matches last year and lost one, leads 4:2. Are there any interesting facts on clay? The score is 2:2 on the slow surface, but that doesn’t really help.
According to our betting providers, victory on Sunday should go to the Olympic champion anyway. The average odds are 1.30 to 3.40, but Alejandro Tabilo is unlikely to be bothered by this.
The Chilean was certainly not on anyone’s radar and is seeded 21st in Rome. It’s the first time he’s ever won a match in the Italian capital, and then all the way to the final!
He started the tournament with a 6-2, 7-6 win against Matteo Arnaldi, followed this up with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 win against Stefano Napolitano and had no problems at all in his 7-5, 6-3 win against Alexandre Müller.
The first big surprise finally came in the quarter-finals, as Tabilo demystified Stefanos Tsitsipas 3-6, 7-5, 6-4. This victory must have given him a real boost, as he also saved the day against Tommy Paul in a three-set thriller (6-3, 6-7, 6-3).
The 28-year-old has mastered both three sets and two sets. The Chilean is 2.01 meters tall, three centimetres taller than Zverev. One thing is clear: they can both serve!
He has conceded seven breaks, compared to just three for Zverev. It’s hard to believe that he’s always been knocked out in the first round of the last three tournaments, but now he’s facing one of the greatest moments of his career
My Zverev Jarry tip
Just three years ago, Alejandro Tabilo was serving a doping ban, now he could be at the top of a Masters. An incredible upswing that Alexander Zverev could now break through.
The Olympic champion played a terrific Masters, dropped just one set and showed his best side in the service game. Can the Chilean keep up? After all, he has beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul.
I therefore believe, also because he won once against Zverev in 2023, that a close, intense duel is in the offing. And since both players are very strong on serve, my tip is
There will be at least one tiebreak!
