Daniil Medvedev reached his first ATP Tour final for 15 months as he outlasted Germany’s world number three Alexander Zverev 7-6(3) 6-7(1) 6-4 at the Halle Open on Saturday.
The Russian former world number one could have spared himself some overtime had he not let three match points slip in the second set, but he eventually got the job done in just under three hours.
“I am happy with my level, I played great,” Medvedev said. “I would have loved to finish on the match points (in the second set). The first one I went for it and missed it. The second one I went a bit slower to wait for a mistake and he made a great point. I am happy to win in the end.”
Medvedev, who now has a 13-7 career record against Zverev, will play Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik in Sunday’s final where he will seek his 21st Tour-level title.
He needed treatment for a nosebleed at 4-4 in an intense first set but was gifted the first-set tiebreaker as Zverev offered up a clutch of unforced errors.
Zverev was broken at the start of the second set but clawed his way back and then saved three match points when serving at 5-6 before holding serve in an extended 12th game to set up a tiebreak in which he played some precise tennis.
Medvedev quickly regrouped though and was the dominant player in the decider.
Whatever the outcome of the final, he will return to the world’s top 10 on Monday.
A rejuvenated Bublik lost the first set against Karen Khachanov but hit back to win 4-6 7-6(5) 6-4 and stay on course for a second Halle title after winning it in 2023.
After a career slump, Bublik has produced a superb run of form including reaching his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros and beating world number one Jannik Sinner in the second round in Halle.
“This was the biggest title of my career here and now I have a shot at a second one,” Bublik said.
