{"id":644468,"date":"2026-05-02T07:44:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T07:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/644468\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T07:44:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T07:44:09","slug":"zverev-eases-past-blockx-to-join-sinner-in-the-final-of-the-madrid-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/644468\/","title":{"rendered":"Zverev eases past Blockx to join Sinner in the final of the Madrid Open"},"content":{"rendered":"

World number three Alexander Zverev saw off surprise package Alexander Blockx to join Jannik Sinner in the final of the Madrid Open.<\/p>\n

Zverev<\/a>, in strong form, claimed the first set against Blockx<\/a> comfortably but struggled to break the Belgian in the second, before eventually finding a way through.<\/p>\n

“I’m very happy of course to be in a final,” said Zverev, who lifted the trophy in Madrid in 2018 and 2021.<\/p>\n

“There were a lot of tough matches, a lot of tough battles… and I’m looking forward to playing Jannik<\/a> again.<\/p>\n

“Tennis is very very easy for him right now, the way he is playing. Maybe on Sunday I will make it a bit more difficult for him.<\/p>\n

“He’s the best player in the world for sure, and I’m just trying to give him a tough battle.”<\/p>\n

The 29-year-old broke in the first and fifth games to surge into a 5-1 lead against his unseeded opponent.<\/p>\n

Underdog Blockx, ranked 69th in the world, resisted strong pressure on his next service game, saving three set points to hold.<\/p>\n

However, the dominant Zverev made no mistake with his fourth chance to wrap up the fourth stanza, laying down an ace.<\/p>\n

Blockx survived two break points in the first game of the second set and another in the third as Zverev worked him hard.<\/p>\n

The Belgian, who defeated Casper Ruud<\/a> in the quarter-finals, put up a brave display as he saved two more break points in each of the seventh and ninth games.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Zverev took his eighth break point of the second set to nose 6-5 ahead, with a fortuitous net cord that broke Blockx’s resistance.<\/p>\n

The German, who has suffered a string of semi-final defeats this season, made it to his first final with a powerful overhead winner.<\/p>\n

Click here for more on the match<\/a><\/p>\n

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