PARIS (AP) — Alexander Zverev reached the Paris Masters final for the second time after beating former champion Holger Rune 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Saturday.
Zverev, a runner-up here in 2020, next plays 2018 champion Karen Khachanov or 15th-seeded Frenchman Ugo Humbert.
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Denmark's Holger Rune reacts during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Denmark's Holger Rune during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Denmark's Holger Rune reacts during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Denmark's Holger Rune returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Denmark's Holger Rune at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts after winning the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Denmark's Holger Runeat at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Victory on Sunday would give Zverev a seventh Masters title and also move him past top-ranked Jannik Sinner for most wins on the ATP tour this year. They are tied on 65.
Despite a heavy schedule — this was his 85th match this year — Zverev went to practice afterward. It is a routine he is imposing on himself to close the gap on four-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz and Sinner, who has won two majors.
“It’s about improving a few things. I feel like Jannik and Carlos are doing a few things better than me at the moment,” Zverev said. “I feel like they are so aggressive. I think tennis is going towards that direction (and) I want to generally improve for next year as well.”
Although Zverev will overtake Alcaraz to move into second place in the ATP rankings next week, he feels he still needs more to become a major winner like them.
“For me Jannik has the best year this season and then Carlos had the second-best year. He won two Grand Slams,” said Zverev, the French Open runner-up. “I’m ahead of him in the rankings (soon) but he won Wimbledon and Roland Garros. Those are two massive titles. So they are still the two best players in the world, in my opinion.”
Rune saved one match point with a brilliant cross-court forehand winner, but the third-seeded Zverev held his nerve on the next with a crisp backhand volley at the net.
“I feel like I made it a little difficult for myself but he is a champion. It is probably his favorite tournament and favorite court,” the 27-year-old Zverev said. "I am happy to be in my second final here, I am looking forward to it.”
Zverev was mostly in control against Rune in their fourth career meeting and first on indoor hard courts. He improved to 3-1 overall against his rival, who won the Paris Masters in 2022 by stunning Novak Djokovic in the final.
Rune saved a break point in his opening service game as he struggled from the back of the court.
Zverev broke him in the fourth game when Rune's two-handed backhand went out, and he held serve for a 4-1 lead in a commanding first set, clinching it when his opponent returned long.
He broke the 13th-seeded Danish player to serve for the match for the first time at 5-4, but Rune broke straight back.
A long 11th game saw both players miss chances and it went to a sixth deuce before Rune finally won it with a backhand volley at the net.
That was the end of his resistance and Zverev was untroubled in his next service game and in the tiebreaker.
The big-serving German is bidding for his second title of the year and 23rd overall.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Denmark's Holger Rune reacts during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev returns to Denmark's Holger Rune during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Denmark's Holger Rune reacts during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Germany's Alexander Zverev at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Denmark's Holger Rune returns to Germany's Alexander Zverev during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts during the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Denmark's Holger Rune at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Germany's Alexander Zverev reacts after winning the semifinal match of the Paris Masters tennis tournament against Denmark's Holger Runeat at the Accor Arena on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)
Atlanta (8-7) at Washington (10-5)
Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC
BetMGM NFL odds: Commanders by 4
Against the spread: Falcons 7-8; Commanders 9-6
Series record: Washington leads 18-10-1
Last meeting: Commanders beat Falcons 24-16 on Oct. 15, 2023, at Atlanta.
Last week: Falcons beat Giants 34-7; Commanders beat Eagles 36-33.
Falcons: overall (9), rush (12), pass (6), scoring (19)
Falcons defense: overall (13), rush (12), pass (21), scoring (19)
Commanders offense: overall (5), rush (3), pass (16), scoring (4)
Commanders defense: overall (10), rush (29), pass (4), scoring (18)
Turnover differential: Falcons minus-5; Commanders plus-2
Rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. made his first NFL start in easy mode at home against the Giants. The difficulty level rachets up at Washington, and the Commanders have a legitimate pass rush led by Dante Fowler Jr. Penix can rely on Bijan Robinson again, but may need to make some harder throws to get the job done this time.
RB Brian Robinson Jr. fumbled twice against Philadelphia and has just one touchdown over the past four games. Daniels put the Commanders on his back last weekend working out of empty formations often, but Kliff Kingsbury's offense is predicated on running the ball to set up the pass and Austin Ekeler remains on injured reserve because of a concussion, so it's Robinson's show on the ground.
Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels vs. the Falcons' pass defense. Atlanta returned two interceptions for a touchdown and forced Drew Lock to fumble last week. Daniels is coming off throwing five TD passes to rally Washington and end Philadelphia's winning streak at 10 games. Prime time has not fazed Daniels so far, and it's worth wondering what his next trick will be.
Falcons: CB Antonio Hamilton left the Giants game with a quadriceps injury. ... CB Kevin King has a concussion.
Commanders: CB Marshon Lattimore, who missed more than a month with a hamstring injury, is again dealing with a hamstring injury. ... RT Andrew Wylie (groin) and WR Dyami Brown (hamstring) left the Eagles game in the fourth quarter. ... DT Jonathan Allen could return more than two months after surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, which was originally thought to be season-ending.
Washington has won the past three meetings. These teams are playing for a fourth consecutive season. ... This is the first prime-time game in NFL history between two rookie QBs selected in the first round. Daniels was the No. 2 pick and Penix No. 8. ... The Falcons benched former Washington QB Kirk Cousins, a 2012 fourth-rounder, before Week 16 in favor of Penix. ... The Commanders can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a loss by Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers host Carolina on Sunday afternoon. ... Washington is 10-5 for the first time since 1991. The organization last won 11 games in 1987. Each of those seasons ended with a Super Bowl championship. ... Commanders coach Dan Quinn led Atlanta to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. He is facing the Falcons for the first time since they fired him in 2020. Falcons coach Raheem Morris worked on Quinn's staff from 2015-20 and was the interim replacement four years ago. Morris also was an assistant with Washington from 2012-14 and interviewed for the job Quinn now has before getting hired by Atlanta.
Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards last week. ... Robinson ran for 94 yards and two TDs against the Giants. Adding his two catches for 9 yards, it was his fourth consecutive game with 100 or more yards from scrimmage. ... WR Drake London is 22 yards receiving from his first 1,000-yard season. Darnell Mooney is 45 away from reaching that mark for the second time. ... LB Matthew Judon and S Jessie Bates had the pick-6s off Lock. Judon's interception was the first of his career. Bates had an INT in his previous game at Washington, Nov. 22, 2020, when playing for Cincinnati. ... LB Kaden Elliss has a career-high 131 tackles. Only seven players in the league have more. ... The Commanders beat the Eagles despite turning the ball over five times. ... Daniels has been selected rookie of the week 10 times. His five TD throws against Philadelphia, including his second to Jamison Crowder with 6 seconds left, made up for his two picks. ... WR Terry McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for a fifth season in a row. He had 919 in 14 games as a rookie in 2019 and missed two because of injury. ... Crowder and WR Olamide Zaccheaus each had two TD catches last week. .... Zach Ertz is 28 yards receiving away from becoming the ninth tight end to 8,000. ... LB Frankie Luvu intercepted Kenny Pickett last week. ... LB Bobby Wagner leads Washington with 118 tackles.
If you need any Commanders receiver to help you win your league other than McLaurin, good luck. Especially since Noah Brown went down, it's anyone's guess who Daniels will target beyond “Scary Terry,” who is justifiably terrifying to opponents.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels speaks to members of the media after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throwing the ball before the start of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) throws the ball in the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Atlanta, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
