New Delhi: 

Alexander Zverev is just one win away from claiming his third title in Munich after a composed semifinal display saw him defeat Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan 7-6(3), 6-3 on Saturday. Backed by the home crowd, the top seed looked in control for most of the match, firing nine aces and saving the only break point he faced.

What next?

With the German looking to please the home fans and making his 28th birthday special, Shelton aiming for his biggest career win on European clay, Sunday’s final promises to be an exciting showdown.

The 21-year-old left-hander is now into his second clay final and fourth ATP final overall. “To get a win on clay against a guy like that gives me a lot of confidence,” Shelton said after his hard-fought victory. “I love the energy here in Munich and I’m going to go for that title tomorrow.”

“It’s awesome, the entire week has been amazing,” Zverev said. “I lost focus once in the first set on my serve, but apart from that I thought it was a good match. Fabian played extremely well, and I’m just happy to be in the final.” 

Zverev had to stay sharp throughout, especially in the opening set tiebreak, but once ahead, he never looked back, dominating on serve and controlling the tempo from the baseline. In the other semifinal, Ben Shelton showed serious grit and determination.

The American battled back from a set and a break down to overcome fifth seed Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-6(7), 6-4. Shelton faced two match points in the second-set tiebreak but held his nerve in a tense exchange to force a decider. 

The World No. 3 will now face second seed Ben Shelton in Sunday’s final in a much-anticipated clash between two rising forces on clay. If Zverev wins, he will match Philipp Kohlschreiber’s record of three titles at the BMW Open, a feat that clearly motivates him.

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