Djokovic dispatches Zverev in thrilling duel, ready to light up Final against Alcaraz

Novak Djokovic defeated Alexander Zverev at the Western & Southern Open by 7-6, 7-5 setting up a rematch of the Wimbledon final against Carlos Alcaraz.

The Serbian once again reached the semifinals of a Masters 1000, showcasing his adaptability across surfaces. After his loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final, Djokovic entered the Cincinnati Open as his sole preparation for the upcoming US Open. Along the way, he defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (6-4, ret.), Gael Monfils (6-3, 6-2), and Taylor Fritz (6-0, 6-4). Djokovic needed just two hours and fifty-five minutes to reach the semifinals, significantly less time than Zverev, who accumulated six hours and fifty-one minutes.

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In contrast to Djokovic, Zverev did not receive a first-round bye and started his campaign against Grigor Dimitrov (6-2, 6-2). He subsequently defeated Yoshito Nishioka (7-5, 6-4), third seed Daniil Medvedev (6-4, 5-7, 6-4), and Adrian Mannarino (6-2, 6-3) to reach his 16th Masters 1000 semifinal. Zverev has advanced to the final on 10 occasions and won the title 5 times.

The first set began with Djokovic struggling a bit, committing several unforced errors but managing to hold his service. With the score at 5-4, Zverev faced his first doubts on serve and encountered three break points against him. However, he managed to save them and extend the set to a tie-break. Djokovic capitalized on a single mini-break to take the first set 7-6(5). Both players were aggressive in their exchanges, with Zverev hitting 16 winners compared to Djokovic's 10. In terms of unforced errors, the German had six while 'Nole' had ten.

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The 2-time Cincinnati Open champion began the second set with momentum, securing a break in the opening game to take an early advantage. Djokovic had the opportunity to take the set with his serve at 5-4, but Zverev get a break and extended the night.

Another break from Djokovic with the 5-5 gave him the victory by 7-6, 7-5

In the final, Djokovic will face Carlos Alcaraz, who once again fought hard to secure victory. Alcaraz mounted an impressive comeback, saving a match point to defeat Hubert Hurckacz 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-3.

This will mark the fourth encounter between Alcaraz and Djokovic, with the Spanish player holding a 2-1 lead in their head-to-head. Their most recent meeting was in the Wimbledon final, where 'Carlitos' claimed a memorable victory with a scoreline of 1-6, 7-6(8), 6-1, 2-6, 6-4.