By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, July 27, 2019
Defending champion Nikoloz Basilashvili saved two match points and won five straight points in the tie break edging Alexander Zverev, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5), to reach his second straight Hamburg final.
Photo credit: Witters Sportfotografie/Hamburg European Open Facebook
Hamburg is Alexander Zverev's birthplace.
Nikoloz Basilashvili defends the Hamburg title as if it's a birthright.
Watch: Kyrgios Taunts Djokovic
The defiant champion fought off two match points in the final set then battled back from 2-5 down in the tie break winning five straight points to reach his second straight Hamburg final with a wild 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (5) triumph over Zverev.
This was a thrilling three hour, seven-minute stress test that saw momentum shifts, lead changes, untimely double faults and a determined tie break charge by the champion.
It was Basilashvili's 11th consecutive Hamburg win—including his run through qualifying en route to his maiden ATP title last year—and sends him into Sunday's final against either 21-year-old Russian Andrey Rublev or 59th-ranked Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta.
A bold Basilashvili denied a pair of match points holding in the ninth game of the decider before breaking Zverev when he served for his first Hamburg final.
It was a brutal loss for the German wild card, who split with his coach of 10-months, Hall of Famer Ivan Lendl, on Thursday night. Zverev drifted into passive positions behind the baseline and played some tentative tennis at crunch time.
The ATP Finals champion committed nine double faults, lost some depth on his forehand and converted just four of 20 break-point chances.
Still, Zverev competed with stubborn energy and put himself in position to prevail. But could not close against a determined world No. 16, who scored the first break in the final game of the opening set.
Down a set and 1-3, Zverev elevated his game winning four of the next five games to force a final set.
Signs of stress popped from both sides before Zverev bolted a backhand down the line breaking for 4-3.
The defending champion had a good look at short forehand that would have given him break point, but Basilashvili slapped it off the top of the tape in the following game as Hamburg's hometown star backed up the break for 5-3.
A disconsolate Basilashvili, who was the more assertive player for much of the match, was on the brink of loss in the ninth game. He dug in and denied two match points, punching a forehand volley into the corner on the second, to force Zverev to serve for the final.
Tension tightened Zverev’s right arm as his drives were fading falling just outside the service line. Striking with more vigor, Basilashvili banged a backhand to break back for 5-all.
It was Basilashvili’s turn to face the break-point fire again. The defending champion flicked a forehand drop shot to save a third break point, grinding through a demanding hold in the 11th game.
Firing his 14th ace down the T brought Zverev to 4-2 and when Basilashvili floated a backhand the German was two points from the final at 5-2.
Basilashvili found another gear drawing two errors then cranking a backhand that lift a diving Zverev caked with clay for 5-all.
Ultimately, Basilashvili's willingness to step up, take some risk and rip his forehand with more vigor decided this semifinal. Spinning a forehand deep into the corner gave Basilashvili match point and he finished with a drive down the line.
Zverev fell to 8-9 in tie breakers this season, while Basilashvili improved to 9-1 in Hamburg main-draw matches.