Sports

Zverev warms up for French Open by reaching Geneva final

May 24, 2019
Germany's Alexander Zverev serves a ball to Bolivia's Hugo Dellien during their quarterfinal match at the Geneva Open ATP 250 tennis tournament, on Thursday in Geneva.   — AFP
Germany's Alexander Zverev serves a ball to Bolivia's Hugo Dellien during their quarterfinal match at the Geneva Open ATP 250 tennis tournament, on Thursday in Geneva. — AFP

GENEVA — World No. 5 Alexander Zverev warmed up for the French Open by reaching only his second final of the season at the ATP event in Geneva with victory over Federico Delbonis on Friday.

The 22-year-old German came through a close match 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3 in two hours and 40 minutes to set up a Saturday final against Chile's Nicolas Jarry.

Zverev, who has never got past the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam tournament, will open his Roland Garros campaign against Australian John Millman next week.

He let a 5-1 lead slip in the opening set in Switzerland, but fought back to take it in the 12th game.

Argentinian world No. 84 Delbonis again pulled back a break of serve in the second set to win a tie-break and level the semifinal, but Zverev broke twice in the decider and sealed victory on his first match point.

Auger-Aliassime set for Paire

showdown in Lyon final

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime rallied to beat top seed Nikoloz Basilashvili 2-6, 7-6(7-3), 6-4 in the Lyon Open semifinals on Friday to move into his second ATP final of the year.

The 18-year-old, who lost in the Rio Open final earlier this season, plays Benoit Paire for the first time in his career in Saturday's final after the Frenchman cruised past Taylor Fritz 6-4, 6-2.

After losing the opening set in 27 minutes, Auger-Aliassime found his rhythm in the second to drag the match into a decider. He saved two break points at 2-3 before switching gears to close out the match with an ace.

World No. 51 Paire, who had no trouble beating American Fritz earlier in the day, is seeking his second title of the season and third overall following success in Marrakesh last month.

Garcia sets up Yastremska final

in Strasbourg International

France's Caroline Garcia defeated compatriot Chloe Paquet 6-3, 6-4 in the Strasbourg International semifinals on Friday to set up a title clash with fifth seed Dayana Yastremska.

Garcia, the 2016 champion, dominated the contest, firing 11 aces and 24 winners, and did not face a break point in the match as she advanced to her first career meeting with Yastremska.

Earlier, the Ukrainian teenager moved into her second title clash of the season by stunning big-hitting second seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-4, 6-4.

After winning the opening set with a decisive break in the fifth game, 19-year-old Yastremska secured an early break in the second before sealing the contest on her fourth match point.

Putintseva to play Zidansek

in Nuremberg title clash

Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva overcame unseeded Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 7-5 in the Nuremberg Cup semifinals on Friday and will face Tamara Zidansek in the final on Saturday.

Putintseva won a three-hour, 21-minute marathon encounter against Anna-Lena Friedsam on Thursday — the longest women's match of the year so far — but showed little signs of fatigue as she kept alive hopes of a maiden WTA title.

Zidansek later reached her first WTA singles final after the unseeded Slovenian converted five of her nine break points to upset second-seeded Czech Katerina Siniakova 7-6(7-4), 6-2.

Top seed Putintseva, who has lost in both of her WTA final appearances — St Petersburg in 2017 and Guangzhou last year — will be wary of Zidansek who defeated her in the pair's only previous meeting in Morocco earlier this season. — Agencies


May 24, 2019
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