GERMAN Alexander Zverev ended the run of remarkable qualifier Frances Tiafoe in the ATP 500 Erste Bank Open event in Vienna, Austria. The second seed triumphed in a tight one 7-5 6-4 to finally snuff out the plucky Tiafoe, who had defied his ranking to rack up some massive wins in the tournament.

Whilst Zverev was favourite heading into the match, Tiafoe laid claims to wins over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Diego Schwartzman and Jannik Sinner on the way to the final. Zverev himself did not have an easy draw, defeating Australian Alex de Minaur and Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets, before accounting for Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

In the final, Zverev won 80 per cent of his first serve points in the one-hour and 35-minute clash to claim his fifth ATP Tour title of the year, and extended to a 6-1 head-to-head record over Tiafoe. It also marked an impressive 25-2 record for the 24-year-old since Wimbledon – including an Olympics Gold Medal – to claim titles in Madrid and Cincinnati among the bigger wins.

“I think the Olympics gave me a lot of confidence and I believe I can compete for any title that I play in,” Zverev said post-match. “I am happy with the form I am in but I have got two more massive weeks ahead of me and I hope I can do well.”

“He didn’t let me play the way I wanted to play, tactically he was very good,” Zverev said. “But I am happy with the win and I am happy with my fifth title of the year and I am happy with my first in Vienna, so it was a good day.”

2021 ERSTE BANK OPEN FINAL RESULT:

[2] Alexander Zverev (GER) defeated [Q] Frances Tiafoe (USA) 7-5 6-4

~

Meanwhile in Russia, Marin Cilic showed his career is not done yet, with the 33-year-old claiming his second title of 2021, and 20th title overall with a hard-fought three-set victory over United States’ Taylor Fritz in the St. Petersburg Open final. Cilic won 7-6 4-6 6-4 to increase his ATP Tour 2021 record out to 31-18, defeating Karen Khachanov, Roberto Bautista Agut and the red-hot Botic Van de Zandschulp – who dismissed top seed and tournament favourite Andrey Rublev in the quarter finals – to reach the decider.

Fritz had a much easier run to the final, with the fifth seed avoiding any other seeds, and instead defeating the giant-killers. Fritz defeated John Millman after the Australian knocked off fourth seed Aslan Karatsev, and the then the American took care of Jan-Lennard Struff after the German defeated second seed Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

The match lasted two hours and 23 minutes before Cilic could finally savour the victory, hitting 12 aces and winning 78 per cent of his first serve points to claim his second title in St. Petersburg, having won a decade ago as a 23-year-old in 2011. Having reached the Moscow final last week, Cilic made good to claim this title and book his spot in elite company. Cilic joins the Big 4 – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray – and Juan Martin del Potro as the only active players to have won 20 ATP Tour titles.

“During the whole week I think my level was really good. I felt that I can still get my game to a better level, and it was a little bit similar today,” Cilic said post-match. “I was playing great on some occasions, missing some opportunities, serving for the first set, not making that first set more comfortably. As things went on, obviously Taylor started to play better. But in the end, [it was] a great mental battle from my side.”

2021 ST. PETERSBURG OPEN FINAL RESULT:

Marin Cilic (CRO) defeated [5] Taylor Fritz (USA) 7-6 4-6 6-4

~

Picture credit: AP

~