Germany’s Alexander Zverev equalled compatriot Boris Becker’s record by reaching an 11th Masters final on Friday when he ended the Rome Open giant-killing run of Alejandro Tabilo.
World number five Zverev, who lifted the Rome trophy in 2017, battled back to see off the Chilean 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in their semi-final.
The 26-year-old Tabilo had shocked Novak Djokovic in the third round and the 32nd-ranked player showed little fear of Zverev until he began to play more passively in the second set tie-break.
Third seed Zverev then raced through the decider to make the Rome final for the third time.
“I was just hanging on in the second set. I brought my energy up. I was really just hanging on and waiting and the patience was kind of good today,” Zverev said on court.
“He hit me off the court in the first set and I did not play well at all, but he was a big reason why. He gave me no rhythm and I am happy I turned it around in the tie-break and ran away in the third set.”
In tomorrow’s final, he will take on either another Chilean in Nicolas Jarry or Tommy Paul of the United States.
On Thursday, Jarry powered past 2022 runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas in three sets to reach his first Masters semi-final.
The 28-year-old fought back to defeat the sixth-seeded Greek 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 as the world number 24 set up a last-four showdown with Paul.
“I think beating Stefanos on clay is a good achievement. Certainly happy with my fight today, for how I played and how I maintained myself,” said Jarry who crunched 23 forehand winners including one timed at 166kph.
Jarry saved 11 of the 13 break points he faced before converting a fourth match point to improve his head-to-record to 4-2 over Tsitsipas who won the Monte Carlo Masters earlier in the European clay-court season.
Jarry joins countryman Alejandro Tabilo in the semi-finals.
They are the first Chilean duo to reach the semi-finals of an ATP Tour event since 2006 in Vina del Mar, where Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu made the last four.