By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, June 18, 2016
Alexander Zverev powered past eight-time champion Roger Federer, 7-6, 5-7, 6-3, snapping the top seed's 15-match Halle winning streak to reach the final.
Photo credit: Gerry Weber Open
Another backhand blast from Alexander Zverev landed in the corner leaving Roger Federer shaking his head at his inability to close the gap.
Federer has ruled the Halle grass with the command of a man playing in his own backyard. Today, the German teenager served the eight-time champion an eviction notice.
Tweets Of Week: Slip Sliding Away on Grass
The 19-year-old Zverev dethroned Federer, 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3, scoring the biggest win of his career in advancing to his first Halle final.
"The level of tennis I was playing really pleased me," Zverev said. "He's still number three in the world and a very great idol for me. It was a big honor for me to play against him, especially on grass. To get the win is (incredible)."
Pounding deep drives into Federer's one-handed backhand, Zverev saved six of seven break points in snapping the top seed's 15-match Halle winning streak. Zverev's previous biggest wins by ranking were victories over a pair of world No. 13 players: He beat Marin Cilic at Montpellier and defeated David Goffin in the Munich quarterfinals.
The 38th-ranked Zverev will face compatriot Florian Mayer in tomorrow's all-German final—the first Halle all-German final since Philipp Kohlschreiber defeated Philipp Petzschner in the 2011 title match.
The 192nd-ranked Mayer snapped a five-match losing streak versus Top 10 opponents dissecting weary world No. 7 Dominic Thiem, 6-3, 6-4. Thiem, who captured his fourth title of the season in a rain-delayed Stuttgart final on Monday, was playing for the 10th time in 11 days.
Sidelined for seven months with a torn tendon in his right adductor, Mayer advanced to his first final since winning his lone title at the 2011 Bucharest.
The day's first semifinal was a rematch of Rome where Federer deployed his short-angled slice and some timely drop shots to drag Zverev forward in a 6-3, 7-5 triumph.
Today, Zverev's heavy first serve and crunching two-handed backhand kept Federer on the back foot throughout much of the opening set. The former junior No. 1 hit heavy, deep drives denying Federer time to create angles.
"He’s got a big serve, he’s got a nice backhand, he’s improving his forehand and his moving forward," Federer said. "So, every week that goes by I think he’s going to be a tough player in the future, no doubt about it. Important is now the next few years how he’s going to be able to learn week in and week out and just take the right decisions as he goes along."
When Zverev wasn't battering away at Federer's backhand, he even played over the top seed's head with an exquisite drop shot-lob combination to close a lob hold.
Neither man managed a break point in the opening set that escalated into the tie break. Trying to force the issue with a forehand, Federer netted that shot handing Zverev a 5-3 lead. Sliding his second ace down the middle brought Zverev to double set point. Federer netted a forehand off a net-cord shot to end the set.
Nearly untouchable on serve, Zverev won 21 of 22 first-serve points in the opening set, dropping just four points total on serve in the set as Federer was averse to altering his return positioning.
"I knew he's probably the best player taking time away from an opponent," Zverev said. "If he gets an offensive game going it's very tough to beat him. So I knew I had to be aggressive."
The eight-time champion could not find the range on his backhand return and struggled to read the direction of the teenager's shots.
Even when Zverev hit a pair of double faults in the third game, he still held strong for a 2-1 second-set lead.
Running around his backhand, Federer launched a forehand long to face the first break point of the match in the eighth game. The top seed slashed an ace wide to save it. Decelerating on a backhand down the line, Federer put that shot into the net to face a second break point. He lashed another ace wide, catching Zverev cheating to the center, eventually holding for 4-all.
Invigorated by that hard-fought hold, Federer earned three break points in the following game, but could not land a return. An ace off the sideline helped the German hold with a clenched fist toward his brother, Mischa, for 5-4.
Scattering a double-fault wide, Zverev confronted two more break points in the 11th game. Federer finally found his backhand but when he tried to finish with the forehand, he sailed it, flipping his Wilson racquet in frustration.
Shaking it off, Federer carved out a forehand drop shot as Zverev slipped and fell trying to change direction burying his face on his hands. The first break of the day gave the Swiss a 6-5 second-set lead.
The eight-time champion served out the set at 15, leveling the match after 88 minutes.
Saving a set point to open the decider, Zverev held with his sixth ace. He staved off another break point in the third game.
Patiently using his two-hander to target Federer's one-handed backhand, Zverev drew the error for double break point. Unable to handle a return right back at the body, Federer flailed a backhand well wide as Zverev broke for a 4-2 advantage in the decider.
The next generation star closed with confidence slashing a serve winner down the middle to finish off the world No. 3. Zverev, who held a match point vs. Rafael Nadal in Indian Wells before bowing, reached his second final of the season.
The departing champion showed appreciation for the ovation from fans returning the applause.The next generation star stayed on court for a bit absorbing a breakthrough moment as a 19-year-old Federer had when he upset Pete Sampras on the Wimbledon grass 15 years ago.