Zverev Downs Dimitrov In Chengdu, Will Face Safiullin For Chengdu Title

Alexander Zverev continues to pad his resume for comeback player of the year. The German star reached his second final of 2023 and 32nd of his career with a solid 6-3, 7-6(2), win over Grigor Dimitrov in a battle of former Top 5 players.

The top seed Zverev connected on nine aces and saved all five break points faced. Zverev broke twice in the opener in the first game of the match and then to take the set.

“For sure it was the best match I’ve played ,” Zverev said to the ATP. “Even though I think yesterday’s match was a very high level and Kecmanovic was playing extremely well. I’m very happy to be in the final, that’s what I came here for and hopefully it’s going to be another high level match tomorrow.”

Zverev now leads the Bulgarian 6-1 and he’ll be a big favorite to win title No. 12 on Tuesday in the final when he takes on Roman Safiullin.

The Russian upset Italian 21-year-old Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-4.

Like Zverev, Safiullin also had nine aces but never faced a break point while losing just six points on first serve.

It’s the 26-year-old’s first career ATP final. Zverev won their only previous meeting at the French Open in 2021.

“I think this tournament he has been one of the most dangerous players,” Zverev said of Safiullin. “He is somebody that plays very fast, hits the ball extremely hard and he is somebody that maybe sometimes lacks consistency. This week obviously he’s playing extremely well, and when he’s playing like that, he’s one of the most dangerous players.”

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