Stefanos Tsitsipas topples Alexander Zverev to reach first Italian Open final

Stefanos Tsitsipas is into his first Rome Masters final after extending his head-to-head lead over Alexander Zverev. 

In a 12th meeting between the duo the Greek was able to recover from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

It is the first time either man has defeated the other from a set down since Tsitsipas did so himself in the quarter-finals of the 2018 Canadian Masters.

The victory brings the 23-year-old to 8-4 in the pair’s head-to-head.

The occasion also meant that the two men has met in the semi-final of each of the three clay Masters this year, being Monte Carlo, Madrid and then Rome.

Tsitsipas won in Monte Carlo before claiming his second title there, while Zverev won in the Spanish capital to reach his third final in the Spanish capital.

The world number five now awaits either world number one and five-time Italian Open champion Novak Djokovic or Miami Open finalist Casper Ruud.

Tsitsipas is 1-1 with Ruud at tour level, both meetings coming in 2021 at Masters 1000 level, with Ruud winning in Madrid and the Greek in Canada.

Meanwhile, Tsitsipas is 2-6 against Djokovic and has not faced the Djokovic since last year’s Roland Garros final when he lost from two sets to love up on the Serb.

Moreover, his last win over the top seed came three seasons ago in the quarter-finals of the 2019 Shanghai Masters.

Regardless of the result in the final, Tsitsipas has at least ensured he will climb one ranking spot to fourth, overtaking Rafael Nadal after the Spaniard went out in the last 16.

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