After three close calls earlier this year, young gun Alexander Zverev finally broke through against world number nine Tomas Berdych, topping the Czech in straight sets to advance to the final of the St. Petersburg Open. Zverev was dominant, barely giving Berdych any looks breaking in the match and took advantage of his opportunities to reach his third final on a third different surface this season with a 6-4, 6-4 win.
Lone chance taken by Zverev
Both men came out flying on their own serves, combining to lose only one point on serve in the first four games. In fact, five of the first six games and six in the ten of the set were taken at love. However, after those dominant first four games, there was a sudden shift in momentum. After holding to love through his first two games, Berdych suddenly found himself down 0-40 and Zverev only needed to be asked once, converting the first break point. After the servers had dominated early, the young German was suddenly in the lead.
That slip up by Berdych in the fifth game proved costly, as while he would regain his footing on serve, only losing one more point on his own serve in the set, he was unable to create any opportunities on his opponents serve. At 4-5, with Zverev serving for the set, the Czech pushed to deuce, but never reached break point as the young German held to take the opening set 6-4.
Zverev hangs on for victory
Berdych came out swinging in his return games in the second set, pushing Zverev to deuce in his first game. However, the German returned the favour in the following game, racing ahead 0-40. He converted the third break point to take a 2-1 lead. Some normalcy returned after a wild first three games, but the pressure began to mount as they neared the conclusion of the set. Serving for a 5-3 lead, Zverev had to battle through four deuces and save a break point before holding to move within a game of victory.
Trying to serve out the match would be problematic for the young German, as he quickly fell behind 0-40. But Berdych could not take advantage of his triple break point opportunity and Zverev saved all three break points. One match point would come and go before the young gun sealed the victory at the second time of asking.
By the numbers
What sunk Berdych was his inability to convert break points. He was 0-4 in that department, while only managing to save two of four against his own serve. While he did win 85 percent of his first serve points, the Czech struggled to put his first serve in play, only managing a first serve percentage of 52 percent. Zverev, who won the ace race with eight, managed 74 percent of his first serve points won while taking advantage of Berdych’s poor first serve percentage by winning 50 percent of his second serve return points.
Zverev is through to his third final of 2016 (0-2) and is still looking for the first title of his career. He awaits the winner between Stan Wawrinka and Roberto Bautista Agut in the final.