Zverev wins first title of 2019 in Geneva

Germany’s Alexander Zverev did his French Open preparations a world of good by beating Chile’s Nicolas Jarry 6-3 3-6 7-6(8) in a gruelling, rain-hit final at the Geneva Open.

Top seed Zverev, looking for his first title win on clay since clinching the Italian Open last year, had endured a disappointing season so far and had not won a title since the ATP Finals in London in November.

The 22-year-old did not have it easy, taking two hours and 35 minutes to eventually get the better of his unseeded opponent in a match where both players had numerous match points. Two rain delays added to the drama.

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Zverev was not as his best with eight double faults punctuating his victory, five of which came in the final set, and he converted only one of 12 break points over the course of the match.

SWISS DELIGHT FOR SASCHA!

Zverev wins his first title of 2019, saving 2 match points as he battles past Nico Jarry in Geneva ???? pic.twitter.com/FxcADg37Mu

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) May 25, 2019

Jarry, who beat Zverev in Barcelona on the same surface in a three-setter last month, fired six aces to Zverev’s three but there was nothing to separate the two players until the third-set tie-break.

With Zverev leading 6-5 in the final set, Jarry battled hard to ensure it went to a tiebreak. The German then won two points off Jarry’s serve to take a 4-0 lead before Jarry saved three match points.

Zverev double-faulted at 6-6 to nearly hand his Chilean opponent the title but he kept his nerve to eventually win an exciting tie-breaker 10-8.

Zverev, the fifth seed at Roland Garros, takes on Australia’s John Millman in the first round of the French Open on Monday while Jarry starts the tournament against eighth seed and fellow South American Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina.

In Lyon, Frenchman Benoit Paire claimed his second claycourt title of the season with a convincing 6-4 6-3 defeat of Canadian teenager Felix Auger-Aliassime in the final.

Yastremska wins thrilling Strasbourg final

Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska beat France’s Caroline Garcia 6-4 5-7 7-6(3) in an thrilling match to win her third WTA singles title at the Strasbourg International.

Yastremska saved a championship point on her way to the title with the 19-year-old putting on a fearsome display of firepower in a match lasting a minute short of three hours on Saturday.

.@D_Yastremska is your @WTA_Strasbourg champion!

She saves championship point to down Garcia, 6-4, 5-7, 7-6(3)! pic.twitter.com/h6T54MIrfl

— WTA (@WTA) May 25, 2019

“You’ve always been my idol, thank you for this match,” Yastremska said.

“I was here two years ago and I lost in the first round. I almost lost at match point today but I’m happy to win.”

Garcia took an early lead in the opening set but Yastremska fought back to level at 3-3 with powerful baseline shots.

The Ukrainian stepped up her game to take the set with a mixture of baseline rallies and occasionally coming to the net to outfox her opponent.

Yastremska’s devastating forehand kept her in control in the second set and she held a 5-3 lead which gave her a chance to serve for the title.

Garcia saved two championship points, however, and forced a deciding set as Yastremska double-faulted.

After a tense final set Yastremska dominated the tiebreaker to join Kiki Bertens, Karolina Pliskova and Petra Kvitova as the only women to have won two titles this year.

At the Nurnberg Cup, Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva came back from a set down to beat unseeded Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia 4-6 6-4 6-2 and capture her first WTA singles title.