Alexander Zverev celebrates reaching the final. © APA/afp / ALEXANDRA BEIER

Zverev in the final of Munich, Alcaraz of Barcelona

Alexander Zverev enjoyed the cheers of the fans in the Bavarian spring sunshine and took extra time to sign autographs.

19 April 2025

From: dpa

After several weeks of defeat and much frustration, Germany's top tennis player has reached the final of the ATP clay-court event in Munich and is just one victory away from his first tournament victory of the year. The world number three defeated Fabian Marozsan of Hungary 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in the semifinals and is aiming for a third victory at the BMW Open after 2017 and 2018.

"I generally felt comfortable on the court," Zverev summed up. The final will take place on Easter Sunday (13.30:2 p.m.) with Ben Shelton, the number two seed. The American defeated Francisco Cerúndolo of Argentina 6-7, 6-9 (7-6), 4-XNUMX in the first semifinal.

Zverev could overtake Alcaraz

And the match takes place on Zverev's 28th birthday. "It could be a great day tomorrow, but it could also be a shitty day," Zverev joked, but then clarified that he was, of course, looking forward to the showdown. "I'd much rather be in the final than have my birthday off."

Carlos Alcaraz defeated Arthur Fils in the semifinals in Barcelona. © APA/afp / MANAURE QUINTERO

A special gift could be a return to second place in the world rankings: If he wins the final and Carlos Alcaraz loses the final in Barcelona at the same time, the German will overtake the Spaniard again. And with a view to the upcoming Masters tournaments in Madrid and Rome, and the climax of the French Open in Paris, this should provide additional momentum.

Alcaraz is just one hurdle away from winning the tennis tournament in Barcelona for the third time. The world number two advanced to the final of the ATP6 event on Holy Saturday with a 2,6-4, 500-2022 victory over Frenchman Arthur Fils. He also reached the final in 2023 and 6, winning both times. His opponent in the final will be Denmark's Holger Rune, who defeated Russian Karen Khachanov 3,6-2, XNUMX-XNUMX. Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton will contest the final in Munich on Sunday.

For Alcaraz, it's also about maintaining his 2025 finals streak. He had the honor of lifting the trophy after reaching the final in Rotterdam on hard court and at the Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo on clay. On his way to his most recent title, he had eliminated Fils in the quarterfinals in three sets, with considerably more effort. This time, the match was over after just 1:15 hours, marking Alcaraz's ninth consecutive match win.