By Chris Oddo | Saturday September 24, 2016

 

Alexander Zverev won for the first time in five career matches with Tomas Berdych to set an enticing final with Stan Wawrinka in St. Petersburg.

Photo Source: TennisTV

Alexander Zverev won for the first time in five lifetime tilts against Tomas Berdych to book his spot in the St. Petersburg Open final alongside Stan Wawrinka.

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Zverev, ranked three spots off his career-high at 27, has won all eight sets he has contested in St. Petersburg.

Zverev defeated Berdych, 6-4, 6-4, recovering from triple break point down in the final game to seal his 37th victory of the season. The 19-year-old German improves to 3-3 in semifinals this season and will face Wawrinka for the first time on Sunday.

It will not be an easy task.

Wawrinka, fresh off his third major title at this year’s U.S. Open, battled past Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, 7-6(8), 6-2, to increase his winning streak to ten. More impressive, the Swiss has won his last 11 ATP finals.

Wawrinka needed to save two set points against Bautista Agut in the first-set tiebreaker, at 5-6 and 7-8, but he rallied and eventually claimed the set when Bautista Agut netted a backhand.

Wawrinka quickly moved ahead in set two, breaking for 1-0 with a forehand winner. The Swiss would save a break point to hold for 5-2 before breaking Bautista Agut a second time with a clean backhand winner down the line.

Wawrinka improves to 42-12 on the season and 29-6 on hard courts. He will bid for his 5th title of the season on Sunday. Only Novak Djokovic, with seven titles, has more this season.

Zverev, one of three ATP teenagers to have reached a final this season, will bid to become the youngest ATP title winner since Marin Cilic won New Haven in 2008.