NEW DELHI: Poland's
Hubert Hurkacz
advanced to the final of the Halle Open, defeating Germany's
Alexander Zverev
7-6(2) 6-4 on Saturday to set up a showdown with his doubles partner and world number one
Jannik Sinner
.
Hurkacz, known for his powerful serve, fired 17 aces in the match and saved four break points, overcoming Zverev who recently finished as the runner-up at the French Open.
"It needed to be really good. He is such a good competitor and is playing good
tennis
, reaching the final at the French (Open) and playing at a really high level," Hurkacz said.
"I am really confident on my serve, I'm serving really good. There were some moments but I managed to believe in my game and hit some good serves and good shots, so I stayed pretty calm.
"I really love grass. The surface suits my game and the atmosphere here, having the full crowd is incredible."
World number four Zverev was aiming to win his first title in Halle after finishing as a finalist in 2016 and 2017. Despite his defeat, Zverev has shown strong form, particularly with his recent performance at the French Open.
Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner reached the first grasscourt final of his career by defeating China's Zhang Zhizhen 6-4 7-6(3). Although Sinner initially struggled to adapt to the grass surface, requiring three consecutive three-set matches before his semi-final, he managed to secure his place in the final as the top seed.
"It's going to be very even, he plays so well on this surface. He's won here, he knows this occasion really well," Sinner said on facing Hurkacz in Sunday's final, three days after the pair went out in the doubles quarter-finals in Halle.
"I'm excited, I'm going to enjoy tomorrow. Every time you play a final it's a huge pleasure and honour. He's serving really well, it's very, very tough to break him."
Sinner will be looking to become the first man since Andy Murray in 2016 to win his first event after reaching the top of the rankings.
English (US) ·