IT was unlucky number 13 for Alexander Zverev, who despite being a set up and 4-4 in the ATP Paris Masters Final, could not come through for his 13th straight win, losing to an impressive Daniil Medvedev. The Russian proved too good for the German, coming back from losing the first set in a tight one to post a 5-7 6-4 6-1 victory in two hours and seven minutes.

The pair had met six times before with Zverev leading 5-1, most recently at last year’s ATP Finals – where they could possibly meet again in a week’s time – but Medvedev’s record against Zverev in Masters 1000 finals went to 2-0, having also accounted for his younger opponent back in Shanghai last year. Medvedev did not record his first break until the ninth game of the second set, but then stormed home to win eight of the last nine games and go from 4-4 to 6-4 6-1 in those final two sets.

“It is great. I am really happy,” Medvedev said post-match. “I don’t show this after the match, but I am really happy to win matches. “Before the tournament, I was not in my best form, playing not so bad with zero finals this year. I was complaining to my wife like, ‘Oh my god, I don’t have the level. I don’t even have one final. I am playing so bad.’ “Finally, I am the winner of Bercy, a tournament that I love.”

It was indeed a brilliant win, with Medvedev having a disappointing 2020 season compared to 2019, with first round exits on the clay at Hamburg and Roland Garros, and then losing to Kevin Anderson in the qualifying final at Vienna after defeat to Reilly Opelka in the Round of 16 at St Petersburg. He had to earn his title in Paris, knocking off not only Zverev but fellow top 10 player Diego Schwartzman, new world number 12 Milos Raonic, as well as top 25 player Alex de Minaur.

“I was playing really good in this tournament, especially today,” Medvedev said. “After the first set, I could [have] given up because Sascha was serving well and playing well. “I just stayed there and at one moment I raised my level higher and higher and started to put pressure on him and it worked. “It broke his level a little bit.”

Zverev, who had the opposite form to Medvedev with 12 straight wins, two titles at Cologne and quite frankly a ridiculous 21-3 record since the start of the US Open, was disappointed not to take out his 14th title and third this year. He did however recapture the form he showed during the 2017-18 seasons where he won nine titles in those years including three ATP Masters 1000 events and an ATP Finals.

“Credit to him. He’s a great player,” said Zverev. “It’s his first tournament win of the season. “I know his season wasn’t the easiest one, whereas I have to say my season [has] actually [been] going quite well. “We will see how it goes with London. “I’m happy with my tennis. “I just need to maybe recover a little bit physically.”

Now the pair head off to London for the ATP Finals where the new world number four Medvedev – who overtook the injured Roger Federer with the title win – and Zverev will face the best of the best. Two first-time ATP Finalists in Andrey Rublev and Schwartzman will be there, as well as defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, and the 2020 Grand Slam winners in Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Dominic Thiem.

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