Alexander Zverev reached the final of the Madrid Masters 1000 on Friday, defeating Belgian surprise package Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5 in the semifinals. The German, ranked No. 3 in the world, will face world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final after the Italian beat France’s Arthur Fils 6-3, 6-4 earlier in the day.
“I’m looking forward to playing him again,” Zverev said after the win. “I’ve played him three times this year and he has beaten me all three times, but I’m looking forward to the new challenge.”
“It will be a fantastic match, and may the best player win,” he added. Zverev is now into his fourth final in Madrid and will be chasing his third title in the Spanish capital, having previously lifted the trophy in 2018 and 2021.
Blockx, ranked No. 69 in the world, had been one of the stories of the tournament after eliminating defending champion Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals. The young Belgian also defeated Argentina’s Francisco Cerúndolo during his run, but he was unable to keep that momentum going against one of the most experienced players on the ATP Tour.
Zverev was dominant behind his serve in the opening set, not allowing Blockx a single break point. The German controlled the tempo from the baseline and quickly took the first set 6-2.
Blockx found more resistance in the second set and managed to stay level for much of the set by relying on his serve. The Belgian saved nine break points as Zverev continued to press for the decisive opening.
“It was a Masters 1000 semifinal,” Zverev said. “It was going to be a big match no matter what.” The breakthrough finally came in the 11th game of the second set, when Zverev converted his only break chance of the game to move ahead 6-5. He then served out the match to seal his place in the final.
Zverev will now turn his attention to Sinner, who remains in contention for another major title in what has already been a dominant season. The Madrid final will bring together the top-ranked player in the world and a two-time champion at the tournament, with Zverev hoping to end his losing streak against the Italian.
